Breakthrough in 100-year-old medical disorder

Local medical experts have found an explanation for the mechanism of a chronic disorder of the large airways.

The discovery revealed the cause of tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica, which has been a mystery for 100 years, according to experts from the Shanghai 6th People's Hospital.

TO is a benign disorder, which is usually misdiagnosed because of its unknown cause. The disorder can cause a narrow airway and even blockage if serious. It can also impact lung function.

Dr Ren Tao, director of the hospital's respiratory disease department, led his team to study cells of TO patients and found the self-renewal ability of patients' tracheal-bronchial basal cells is much lower. This means TO is related to cell function.

Experts also found inflammatory reactions, indicating chronic inflammation is the key to TO disorder.

The discovery offers an important clue for new clinical research and policy on TO treatment, experts said.

The discovery was published by world leading Nature Communications.