How 'dirt' could educate the immune system, help treat asthma

-From Imperial College, London
Bioscience & Medicine

Scientists believe that knowing exactly which type of
dirt provides the best 'education' for the immune system,
could be key to providing new treatments for diseases
such as asthma.

Speaking at the launch of the BA Festival of Science
today, Professor Peter Openshaw, explains that a lack of
exposure to dirt and common viral infections among
children could be behind the rise in the levels of
asthma.

Professor Openshaw, from Imperial College London, and
based at St Mary's Hospital, says: "Although we have seen
a dramatic decline in many previously common childhood
infections over the past 100 years, we have also seen a
considerable rise in the prevalence of diseases such as
asthma. The increase in asthma cannot be blamed purely on
changes in genetic risk, so must be down to environmental
factors."

Scientists have called this the 'hygiene' hypothesis,
with a lack of exposure to viruses and other
environmental factors meaning children are not able to
build up resistance, and can become more susceptible to
disease later in life. They also believe having many
older siblings, attending day care at an early age, or
growing up on a farm can help in promoting resistance to
disease.

Studies have shown that most common colds can help
protect against wheezing in later childhood, and other
childhood infections such as chickenpox also provide a
level of protection.

Professor Openshaw adds: "The challenge now is to find
ways of reproducing the protective effects of early
childhood infections, while reducing the burden of
actually getting these infectious diseases. Knowing
exactly which 'dirt' provides the best education for the
immune system, and how to mimic its affects in a cleaner
environment, could be the key to reducing the rise in the
prevalence of asthma and related diseases."

Professor Openshaw is a respiratory medicine researcher,
looking at immunological responses to diseases such as
asthma, the common cold and other lung diseases.

-From Imperial College, London
Bioscience & Medicine

Submitted by BJS on Sun, 2005-09-04 16:05.

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