Scientists discover a ‘master key’ to unlock new treatments for autoimmune disorders

Bethesda, MD—Imagine a single drug that would treat most, if not all, autoimmune disorders, such as asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, and Lupus. That might not be so hard to do thanks to a team of researchers who have discovered a molecule normally used by the body to prevent unnecessary immune reactions. This molecule, pronounced “alpha v beta 6,” normally keeps our immune systems from overreacting when food passes through our bodies, and it may be the key that unlocks entirely new set of treatments for autoimmune disorders. This discovery was recently published in research report appearing the Journal of Leukocyte Biology (https://www.jleukbio.org).

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Low-fat yogurt intake when pregnant may lead to child asthma and hay fever

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Eating low-fat yoghurt whilst pregnant can increase the risk of your child developing asthma and allergic rhinitis (hay fever), according to recent findings.

The study will be presented at the European Respiratory Society’s (ERS) Annual Congress in Amsterdam on 25 September 2011. All the abstracts for the ERS Congress will be publicly available online from today (17 September 2011).

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Study sheds light on late phase of asthma attacks

New research led by scientists from Imperial College London explains why around half of people with asthma experience a ‘late phase’ of symptoms several hours after exposure to allergens. The findings, published in the journal Thorax, could lead to better treatments for the disease.

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National asthma genetics consortium releases first results

Discovers new asthma gene in African-Americans, replicates 4 others

A new national collaboration of asthma genetics researchers has revealed a novel gene associated with the disease in African-Americans, according to a new scientific report.

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New generation asthma drug could improve metabolism

Formoterol, a new generation asthma medication, shows great promise for improving fat and protein metabolism, say Australian researchers, who have tested this effect in a small sample of men. The researchers presented their results on Saturday 4 June 2011 at The Endocrine Society’s 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston.

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Why does flu trigger asthma?

Study suggests new therapeutic targets for virally-induced asthma attacks

Boston, Mass. - When children with asthma get the flu, they often land in the hospital gasping for air. Researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston have found a previously unknown biological pathway explaining why influenza induces asthma attacks. Studies in a mouse model, published online May 29 by the journal Nature Immunology, reveal that influenza activates a newly recognized group of immune cells called natural helper cells – presenting a completely new set of drug targets for asthma.

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Researchers move closer to identifying new class of asthma, COPD drugs

ATS 2011, DENVER – Researchers in Baltimore have identified new compounds whichrelax airway muscles and may provide relief from shortness of breath for patients with COPD and asthma. The bitter-tasting compounds are at least as, if not more, effective than currently available agents used to manage these diseases, and may present new options for treatment.

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Potential new medicines show promise for treating colon cancer, asthma

ANAHEIM, March 28, 2011 — In what they described as the opening of a new era in the development of potentially life-saving new drugs, scientists today reported discovery of a way to tone down an overactive gene involved in colon cancer and block a key protein involved in asthma attacks. Those targets long had ranked among hundreds of thousands that many scientists considered to be “undruggable,” meaning that efforts to reach them with conventional medicines were doomed to fail.

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Asthma drug could help control or treat Alzheimer’s disease

A drug used to treat asthma has been shown to help reduce the formation of amyloid beta, a peptide in the brain that is implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s disease, according to researchers at Temple University’s School of Medicine.

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Adding new anti-asthma drug to therapy may limit seasonal attacks in children

DALLAS – March 16, 2011 – A new anti-asthma medication dramatically reduced increases in seasonal asthma attacks in children and young adults with allergic asthma, according to a multi-institutional study involving a UT Southwestern Medical Center physician.

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