Gene clue in asthma research

A team of UK researchers has identified a gene involved in asthma and other allergies, which they say could lead to better treatment and understanding of the illnesses. The scientists, based at Oxford University, found that alterations in a gene called PHF11 affect the production of the proteins involved in an allergic response. 'Finding this gene adds a new dimension to understanding asthma and allergic diseases, but the understanding is still incomplete' said lead author William Cookson.

Asthma and other allergic conditions such as eczema occur when the body's immune system overreacts to harmless foreign substances, treating them as it would invading germs or parasites. The PHF11 gene appears to regulate the blood cells that produce Immunoglobin E, the antibody protein produced in large quantities during an allergic reaction. In turn, this triggers the release of the chemical histamine, which causes itching if present in the skin, and wheezing if produced in the lungs.

Cookson says that around ten different genes are involved in asthma, about half of which have already been identified. 'It is very likely that all the important genes will be found in the next three years' he said. But he stressed that 'the challenge of translating genetic findings into new treatments is, however, not trivial and will not be accomplished overnight'. The findings were published online last week in Nature Genetics.