We all know about the dangers of asthma and how it can play a big role in the wellbeing of many people. Asthma is especially common in children, but increasingly we are seeing cases diagnosed at any time during your life. Despite it being one of the most common problems in the world, we still aren’t exactly sure what causes people to develop asthma. Now, however, a new study has revealed exactly why some people are more likely to develop the condition than others.
A team of researchers at the University of NSW have conducted the first study on the effects of Sydney’s air pollution on how asthma develops. It was revealed that the city’s air pollution could increase the chances of developing childhood asthma, especially if those children are already genetically predisposed to it.
The study found pollutants in the air are especially harmful to developing airways through oxidative stress. This can then cause an allergic reaction when it is combined with exposure to allergens. This shows for the first time that pollution and genetics can play a dual role in causing asthma and making the symptoms worse.
It’s now clear that both genetic and environmental factors are crucial to the development of asthma in children. In the study, young white mice were exposed to air samples taken from Chullora, a district in west Sydney. When they were then exposed to allergens later in their lives, asthma-like inflammation developed in the airways of mice that had earlier been exposed to both the pollutants and to allergens.
The authors hope that now we understand more about the nature of how asthma develops it will make it easier to find effective ways of treating it too.
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