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New gene therapy may ‘turn off’ asthma

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The findings showed that the single treatment may give life-long protection from asthma as well as those who have severe allergies to peanuts, bee venom, shell fish and other substances by de-sensitising the immune system to tolerate the protein.

Researchers have developed a new gene therapy that may help to ‘turn-off’ the immune response which causes allergic reaction such as asthma, or potentially lethal food allergies, researchers have found.

“When someone has an allergy or asthma flare-up, the symptoms they experience results from immune cells reacting to protein in the allergen,” said Ray Steptoe, Associate Professor at the University of Queensland in Australia.

The findings showed that the single treatment may give life-long protection from asthma as well as those who have severe allergies to peanuts, bee venom, shell fish and other substances by de-sensitising the immune system to tolerate the protein.

“The challenge in asthma and allergies is that these immune cells, known as T-cells, develop a form of immune ‘memory’ and become very resistant to treatments,” Steptoe said.

“We have now been able ‘wipe’ the memory of these T-cells in animals with gene therapy, de-sensitising the immune system so that it tolerates the protein,” he added.

For the study, detailed in the journal JCI Insight, the team took blood stem cells, and inserted a gene which regulated the allergen protein and put that into the recipients.

“Those engineered cells produced new blood cells that express the protein and target specific immune cells, ‘turning off’ the allergic response,” Steptoe noted.

The eventual goal would be a single injected gene therapy, that is simpler and safer which could be used across a wide cross-section of affected individuals, he said.

Source: http://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/health/new-gene-therapy-may-turn-off-asthma-4690204/

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New eczema therapy reduces asthma severity in kids

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Scientists have discovered insights for a possible new therapy for eczema that also reduces the severity of asthma in children.

The findings, published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, are an important next step in understanding the relationship between the two inflammatory diseases and to developing effective therapies.

Children with atopic dermatitis (AD), a type of eczema of the skin, show an increased risk of developing asthma later in life.

House dust mites are known culprits in the development of both AD and asthma, as exposure to the mites induces inflammation.

The researchers from VIB, the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology in Belgium, created a mouse model to look further into the relationship between the two diseases.

“As predicted, our test showed that house dust mite- induced skin inflammation leads to aggravated levels of allergic airway inflammation,” Julie Deckers, from VIB.

“Yet, to our surprise, this response significantly differs from the reaction to direct exposure of house dust mites in the lungs without prior skin inflammation. These results have given us a deeper understanding of the complexity of the atopic march,” Deckers said.

The challenge, however, was to investigate whether the relief of skin inflammation might influence the subsequent development of asthma.

The team therefore combined two anti-inflammatory compounds—orticosteroids and PPAR agonists—into one potential treatment in mice.

“The combined therapy effectively alleviated AD, but was insufficient at preventing allergic asthmatic response in the lungs,” said Deckers.

“However, the treatment did significantly reduce the severity of the asthma by counteracting one aspect of the specific immune response in the lungs. In this way, the therapy represents a potent remedy against allergic skin inflammation and the aggravation of atopic march,” Deckers added.

Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/new-eczema-therapy-reduces-asthma-severity-in-kids/531577.html

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Asthma Information

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If you frequently experience shortness of breath or you hear a whistling or wheezy sound in your chest when you breathe, you may have asthma—a chronic condition that causes inflammation and narrowing of the bronchial tubes, the passageways that allow air to enter and leave the lungs.

Overview

In the United States, asthma affects an estimated 26 million people — many of whom may not be aware that they have it, especially if their symptoms aren’t severe.

The most common signs of asthma are:

  • Coughing, especially at night, during exercise or when laughing
  • Difficulty breathing
  • Chest tightness
  • Shortness of breath
  • Wheezing (a whistling or squeaky sound in your chest when breathing, especially when exhaling)

Causes

Asthma symptoms may be triggered by exposure to an allergen (such as ragweed, pollen, animal dander or dust mites), irritants in the air (such as smoke, chemical fumes or strong odors) or extreme weather conditions. Exercise or an illness — particularly a respiratory illness or the flu — can also make you more susceptible.

A physical display of strong emotion that affects normal breathing patterns — such as shouting, crying or laughing — can also act as an asthma trigger. Panic can prevent a person with asthma from relaxing and following instructions, which is essential during an asthma attack. Scientists have found that rapid breathing associated with strong emotions can cause bronchial tubes to constrict, possibly provoking or worsening an attack.

Asthma symptoms can appear at any time. Mild episodes may last only a few minutes and may be resolved spontaneously or with medication; more severe episodes can last from hours to days.

People with asthma, like those with any chronic condition, may experience significant stress. Because it is a leading cause of work and school absences, asthma can affect a person’s livelihood, education and emotional well-being. Depression may set in when people diagnosed with asthma believe that they are unable to participate in normal activities.

If you’re experiencing breathing difficulties that interfere with your daily activities and decrease the quality of your life, visit an asthma screening event in your area and see an allergist for diagnosis and treatment. An allergist can also help you recognize the early warning signs of an attack and coach you in ways to cope during an emergency.

Asthma Symptoms in Children

Most children with asthma have symptoms before they turn 5. In very young children, it may be hard for parents, and even doctors, to recognize that the symptoms are due to asthma. The bronchial tubes in infants, toddlers and preschoolers are already small and narrow, and head colds, chest colds and other illnesses can inflame these airways, making them even smaller and more irritated.

The symptoms of pediatric asthma can range from a nagging cough that lingers for days or weeks to sudden and scary breathing emergencies.

Common symptoms to watch for include:

  • Coughing, especially at night
  • A wheezing or whistling sound when breathing, especially when exhaling
  • Trouble breathing or fast breathing that causes the skin around the ribs or neck to pull in tightly
  • Frequent colds that settle in the chest

Your child might have only one of these symptoms or several of them. You may think it’s just a cold or bronchitis. If the symptoms recur, that’s a clue that your child might have asthma. In addition, symptoms may worsen when your child is around asthma triggers, such as irritants in the air (smoke or strong odors, for example) or allergens like pollen, pet dander and dust mites.

Goof for Asthama

Fruits and vegetables rich in Vitamin C.

 spinach, broccoli, bell pepper, and kale

oranges, strawberries, blue berries, and melons as they neutralize free radicals

Food to avoid

Milk,

 eggs,

 peanuts,

tree nuts, 

soy, wheat,

 fish and shellfish,

Source: https://acaai.org/asthma

(Image: Representation only)

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