Asthma cure?

According to research published in this seasons edition of the british lung foundation's 'breathing space' magazine a cure for asthma and a treatment for hayfever isn't that far away.

I'll type out the article.

'Allergy Treatment

Experts have revealed that a cure for allergies that affect millions including asthma and hayfever will be available within the next few years. Cutting-edge research from around the world will yield a treatment for hayfever by 2009, with a cure for asthma following shortly afterwards'.

Hail those clever researchers

tks xxxx

[yaf_user681_26410]

Sorry to be cynical but i'll believe it when it happens. A cure would be amazing.

Ange

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Well, I hope so!

My only concern is that asthma seems to be a very complex condition with many different kinds of treatments. Some people's inhalers could either have no effect on you or even make you worse. I'm interested if this cure is a 'one size fits all' kind of thing or has various forms.

[Shades]

does it say if this is therefore mainly for allergenic/extrinsic asthma then not necessarily intrinsic asthma think i read something a month or so very similar regarding a possible cure for hayfever which could lead to breakthroughs for asthma too. will try and find it again

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I have typed out the article exactly as its written so I have no idea.

tks xxxxx

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I can't find the reference right now, but I think they're referring to a new form of immunotherapy. From memory, it works along the same lines as desensitisation therapy, but rather than injecting with the allergen itself they are using small portions of the protein that they have manufactured in the lab. Apparently this makes it safer and more effective. It could also potentially be given as a pill rather than injections, and would have to be taken long term or at least for several months.

The bad news is that whilst this could potentially be of great benefit to sufferers of hayfever, anaphylaxis and allergic asthma, it will not help at all in non-allergic asthma, and would be of only limited benefit for those of us with multiple allergies or unknown allergies. It's been estimated that this approach could help between 20 - 70% of asthmatics, depending which paper you read!

Oh well, back to the drawing board for a lot of us I suspect, but interesting stuff anyway. Them scientists will get there in the end!

Take care all

Em H