Proficient DNA repair in house dust mite–induced asthma?

The substantial secretion of TH2 cytokines from highly stressed, monolayer cultured dying bronchial epithelial cells is rarely reported though A549 cancer cell line has shown such secretion.5 It is surprising that the authors had not shown such increased TH2 cytokines and airway inflammation in NU7441-treated HDM-induced mice. Because they found more apoptosis in the inflammatory cells (Fig 8, C) in these mice, one can expect the reduction in the inflammation and TH2 cytokines with NU7441 treatment to corroborate with earlier reports of DNAPK inhibition-mediated beneficial effects on asthma.1 Because the authors have used a single human asthmatic sample that does not even have bronchi, their data did not match with the earlier report6 that found a significant expression of Ku70 and γ-H2AX in healthy individuals with normal lung functions compared with near absence in this study.