Asthma gene discovery

UK and US researchers have identified a gene that may be involved in up to 50 per cent of all cases of asthma. The team say their findings could lead to a new genetic test for the condition, as well as potential new drug treatments. But details of the function and location of the gene, currently the subject of a patent application, will not be revealed until the results of the study are published later this year.

Scientists from Southampton University in the UK collaborated with US companies Schering-Plough and Genome Therapeutics on the project. The team studied DNA samples from 342 UK and 110 US families in which at least two children were affected by asthma. Dr Stephen Holgate of Southampton University was surprised to find that just one gene was involved in so many cases. 'Usually with a complex disease there are many genes with a small contribution but this is a major gene' he said. 'It's going to completely change the way we look at the disease' he added.

Asthma affects 3.4 million people in the UK, and is the most common chronic illness affecting children. A spokeswoman for the National Asthma Campaign said that knowing about the genes involved is useful because it provides information about the disease and new targets for drugs.