New Research To Investigate The Most Common Trigger For Asthma In Children

Main Category: Respiratory / Asthma
Also Included In: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Article Date: 21 Oct 2007 - 1:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   opinions  

Exciting new research to help understand how the common cold can trigger an asthma attack in children is the focus of a new research project funded by Asthma UK.

Professor Donna Davies and colleagues at Southampton University have already identified a key alteration in the cells lining the airways of adults with asthma, which if treated, could prevent the trigger of an asthma attack in response to viral infections. This research will now be extended to children to see if this also applies to less mature airways.

Rhinoviruses, or the common cold are the most common cause of an asthma attack. Viral infections cause 80% of asthma attacks in children and 60% in adults with asthma but how the common cold triggers or worsens asthma symptoms is not completely understood.

Today, 1.1 million children have asthma, and it is the most common long-term condition among children in the UK affecting an average three children in every classroom. Nearly a quarter of children with asthma missed six or more days as a result of their condition and one in six parents say their child's asthma often prevents them from doing exercise or sport at school, which highlights the vital importance of research in this area.

Professor Davies' research will focus largely on restoring the levels of an antiviral protein called interferon - beta to cells taken from the airways of children to see if this can stop the process believed to be behind asthma attacks triggered by viruses. She believes her research could identify a novel treatment for the prevention of virus-induced asthma attacks in children and help clarify the possible causes of asthma in early childhood.

Professor Davies comments 'Adults and children with asthma live on a knife edge, fearing that catching a cold might trigger a life-threatening exacerbation. If we can use interferon beta to boost their antiviral defence mechanisms, this will be a really exciting breakthrough for treatment.'

In the UK, one in ten children and one in twelve adults currently receive treatment for asthma. The symptoms of asthma, which include wheeze, cough and shortness of breath, result from airways that are susceptible to becoming inflamed and narrowed. While asthma is a long-term disorder it is characterised by periods of worsened symptoms, severe enough to cause an increase in the need for medications, along with hospitalisation and even death.

Dr Victoria King, Research Development Manager at Asthma UK comments: 'Currently there are no specific treatments for virus induced asthma, and steroid treatments are only partially effective against them. In the UK a child is admitted to hospital every 19 minutes because of their asthma. We hope this Asthma UK supported research will help develop a suitable treatment to prevent asthma triggered by viral infections in the future.'

1. Asthma UK is the charity dedicated to improving the health and well-being of the 5.2 million people in the UK whose lives are affected by asthma. For up-to-date news on asthma, information and publications, visit the Asthma UK website http://www.asthma.org.uk

2. Asthma UK is the major funder of asthma research in the UK. Each year we spend approximately £3 million on research which includes project grants, four fellows, and two professors.

http://www.asthma.org.uk

• Additional
• References
• Citations