The Fibrocyte Switch: When Severe Asthma Cells Stop Building Walls and Start Amplifying Inflammation

Spectral flow cytometry data from severe vs mild asthma fibrocytes reveals a dramatic phenotype switch: α-SMA drops 40% while Type 2 cytokines (IL-4/IL-5/IL-13) surge during 3-day culture. Supported by 6 PubMed studies, this suggests fibrocytes are not just structural remodelers but active Type 2 inflammation amplifiers — a potential positive feedback loop explaining why severe asthma is so hard to treat.