Genes linked to childhood asthma ‘identified’

London: In what could pave the way for new and effective treatments for childhood asthma, scientists claim to have identified seven genes linked to the condition which can persist throughout life.

For its research, an international team, led by the Imperial College London, looked at DNA from over 26,000 people and found several genetic variants that substantially increase susceptibility to asthma in children.

Most importantly, the research appears to show that allergies are a “side effect” of asthma, rather than causing the condition, the ‘Daily Mail’ reported.

Prof William Cookson, who led the study, said that allergies seem to produce an extra layer of symptoms in people prone to asthma, instead of being a trigger.

“About 60 per cent of people with asthma suffer from some form of allergy;there’s always been a close relationship. It has always been assumed allergies are driving the process and that is where the focus of research has been, without too much success,” he was quoted as saying.

Prof Cookson said that researchers now had the opportunity to target seven “accessible” genetic variants which should yield results in the near future. “One of the problems with asthma research has been choosing where to intervene in the disease pathways.

“Our study now highlights targets for effective asthma therapies, and suggests that therapies against these targets will be of use to large numbers of asthmatics. I would hope to see treatments using antibodies or drugs against them within 10 years; it’s quite feasible,” he said.