I, like most of my family and many of my friends, suffer from allergies, maybe a few too many actually. For some people, allergies can cause a huge burden and risk to every day life, and for the most part, are incurable.
Novel research from Imperial College London was published this week identifying 34 genes proposed to play a role in asthma and allergies; this is exciting, as it opens doors for potential drug targeting of these specific genes.
The research was concerned with a relatively novel and 'up-and-coming' area of genetics called epigenetics. Put simply, epigenetics studies the mechanisms by which the activity of a gene is changed without altering the genetic code of that gene. This research pinpointed the genetic mechanisms (methylation) of 34 genes responsible for the allergic response produced by Immunoglobulin E antibodies, which have previously been considered a mystery.
Despite this research being 10 years in the running, the prevalence of asthma and allergies means that the results of these studies will provide new pharmaceutical targets and predictive biomarkers. A related article published in LaboratoryTalk highlights that 10% of children in the UK is affected by asthma, with a third of the population suffering from allergies. With studies like this continuing, the exact mechanisms of allergic response can be elucidated.
As a postgraduate student, I think this study demonstrates the scale and time required to undertake this kind of beneficial research. It's also great to see the field epigenetics being brought to the forefront of the public eye, and showing promise in clinical application, especially in conditions that have recently received little attention.
Other sources include the WebMD article here.
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