Review reveals non-type 2 inflammatory mechanisms across asthmatic populations, indicating targeted biologics and metabolic therapies can address corticosteroid insensitivity.
Purpose of Review Type 2-low (T2-low) asthma, characterized by low blood and sputum eosinophils and low fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO), remains a major unmet need because of frequent corticosteroid insensitivity and a lack of targeted therapies. This review summarizes recent advances in its epidemiology, multiomics, and therapeutic landscape. Recent Findings T2-low inflammation is highly prevalent, affecting approximately 14%–39% of adults with current asthma and up to 60% of children. Its pathogenesis reflects complex non-T2 mechanisms, including IL-17 signaling, innate immune activation through IL-1β and IL-33, and neutrophilic inflammation. Heterogeneity is further shaped by systemic factors such as obesity and immunosenescence and by environmental exposures such as ozone. Among available therapies, long-term macrolides and the anti-TSLP biologic tezepelumab have shown significant efficacy in reducing exacerbations, whereas other pathway-specific interventions have yielded inconsistent clinical benefits. Emerging metabolic approaches, including GLP-1 receptor agonists, may offer additional promise. Summary Progress in T2-low asthma will require mechanism-based classification and clinically deployable biomarkers to align targeted therapies with specific biological drivers.
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Mendez et al. (2026) studied this question.
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