With the help of a £400,000 grant from The Freemasons’ Grand Charity a team at Imperial College London and their international colleagues have found over 30 new genes that predispose to allergies and asthma. The genes activate the particular white cells that cause the damage in the airways of asthma and allergy sufferers.
Professor Miriam Moffatt, one of the leaders of the research team said, “Asthma affects one child in ten in the UK, and allergies may affect one third of the population. The new findings will lead to new treatments for allergic diseases, and will help to predict who will best respond to currently available treatments”.
Professor William Cookson, the other UK leader of the study, said, “This research has taken ten years and used very novel ways to study the genes in the immune system. Because the research was new, it was also risky. Without the generosity of the Grand Charity and their trust in our abilities, the research may never have got off the ground. We cannot thank them enough.”
Further information about this study:
Imperial College London News
Harvard School of Public Health News
Daily Mail: Asthma cure a step closer