Childhood Asthma: Hope for a Cure?

It's a disease that affects millions of children worldwide and may cause symptoms on a daily basis. Childhood asthma is responsible for a significant number of lost days from school and even childhood deaths. Now,
according to a new story published by http://www.telegraph.co.uk, researchers have located a specific gene that is a strong predictor of whether a child will develop the symptoms of asthma.

Researchers at the Imperial College London and colleagues from France, Germany, the USA, the UK, and Austria discovered a DNA sequence that alters the level of a newly described gene called ORMDL3 located on chromosome 17. This gene is strongly associated with the development of asthma. The researchers emphasized that asthma is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. They hope that by discovering this particular DNA sequence, new treatments may be developed to target childhood asthma at the genetic level. Professor Cookson from National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College stated that this is the strongest genetic correlation with asthma so far discovered.

The coauthor of the study, Dr. Miriam Mottatt stated, "These novel findings do not explain completely how asthma is caused, but they provide a further part of the gene-environment jigsaw that makes up the disease". The researchers hope to devise additional studies to find similar genes that may play a role in the development of asthma as well as how these genes may interact with environmental factors. It's hoped further study may lead to more effective methods to prevent the development of childhood asthma.

According to the researchers, the newly discovered gene, ORMDL3, codes for a specific protein which they believe is responsible for the inappropriate immune response that causes the symptoms of asthma. .This aberrant response on the part of the immune system causes inflammation in the airways to occur which can lead to them closing down in response to relatively benign environmental contaminants such as dust. They hope further research and characterization of this protein will allow them to design specific therapies directed against this protein, leading to reduction in the symptoms of asthma.

Dr. Goncalo Abecasis of the University of Michigan added, "I think eventually it will lead to new therapies because it points to a specific bioloigcal molecular pathway. Once we understand the biology and we know the players, it's possible to target with specific drugs".

Could a cure for childhood asthma be on the horizon? Only further research will tell whether this small genetic sequence could hold the key to eliminating childhood asthma symptoms.