Downstream Effects of Airway Mucus Plugs on 129Xenon MRI in Severe Asthma

Inclusion criteria

• Adequate completion of informed consent process with written documentation
• Patients 18 - 65 years old
• Physician diagnosis of asthma for > 1 year
• Able to perform reproducible spirometry according to ATS criteria based on clinical PFTs within previous 30 days of enrollment
• All racial/ethnic backgrounds may participate
• Blood eosinophil count > 300 cells/μL
• Smoking history <10 pack years
• No smoking history (including vapes, cigar, or marijuana use) in the last 3 months
• About to initiate asthma therapy with either dupilumab, tezepelumab, or benralizumab as part of their standard of care

Exclusion criteria

• Respiratory tract infection within the 4 weeks prior to Visit 1
• Body mass index (BMI) > 30 at Visit 1
• One-time doses such as intra-articular injections require a 4-week washout prior to Visit 1
• Asthma-related ER visit within the previous 4 weeks of Visit 1 or at any time while on the study
• Significant concomitant medical illness, including (but not limited to) heart disease, cancer, uncontrolled diabetes, other chronic lung diseases (determined by the Investigator.)
• Resting O2 saturation <90% with maximum supplemental O2 delivered by nasal cannula
• Positive urine pregnancy test at Visit 1 or at any time while on the study
• Participation in an intervention study (including bronchoscopy) or use of investigative drugs within the past 30 days or plans to enroll in such a trial during the study
• Unable or unlikely to complete study assessments in the opinion of the Investigator
• Study intervention poses undue risk to patient in the opinion of the Investigator
• Conditions that will prohibit MRI scanning determined by the MRI safety screening.