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TB vaccine could help asthma
February 27, 2002THE protection the BCG vaccine provides against tuberculosis is notoriously poor. But it could hold the key to a vaccine against asthma, which now affects one in seven children in the West.
Klaus Joseph Erb`s team at the University of Würzburg in Germany gave mice nasal sprays containing the bacterium used in the BCG vaccine. When they later exposed the mice to the egg-white protein ovalbumin, which usually gives them asthma-like symptoms, their lungs remained healthy.
The tests provide further support for the hygiene hypothesis, which blames over-cleanliness for the inexorable rise in asthma and other autoimmune diseases in the West. According to this theory, exposure to common soil bacteria shifts the immune system`s reaction to allergens from the Th2 response that causes the symptoms of allergies to the less harmful Th1 response. (New Scientist, 18 July 1998, p 26).
These soil bacteria are closely related to the TB bug, and observations in Africa have suggested that TB and its relatives can also have a protective effect. So Erb`s team reasoned that BCG, a mild strain of the bacterium that causes TB in cows, might also protect against asthma when sprayed into the lungs.
"The biggest surprise was that the mycobacteria didn`t have to be alive to cause the effect," says Erb. Only injections of live BCG can protect people against TB.
Crucially, his team also showed that the balance had shifted away from the Th2 response. So-called T helper 2 (Th2) white blood cells had vanished from the mice`s lungs. Also banished were eosinophils, cells that aggravate asthma by releasing histamine.
In their place, Erb found high levels of interferon-gamma, a messenger substance that he thinks excludes the Th2 cells. "It could be the signal saying: `Don`t come in`, or `Don`t stay`," he says.
But both the live and killed versions of BCG caused lung inflammation in the mice, which would be unacceptable in people. "The last thing you should put into the lung of an asthmatic is something that causes even more inflammation," Erb says. "The trick is to find which components of the vaccines do the trick so you still get the benefits without any side effects."
So he and his colleagues are testing fragments of the dead bacteria to see if any of them protect against asthma without causing inflammation. Most promising, he believes, are "CpG motifs"-slugs of bacterial DNA unusually rich in the nucleotide bases guanine and cytosine that provoke a strong immune response.
Other groups are also developing asthma vaccines. SR Pharma of London is already carrying out trials with a heat-killed soil bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae, which is injected into the skin. Initial results suggest it does reduce the severity of asthma and eczema in patients. But a vaccine that can be safely delivered to the lungs might be even more effective.
Graham Rook of University College London, a cofounder of SR Pharma, adds that the focus of research is shifting away from simply trying to alter the Th2/Th1 balance. His and other groups are studying regulatory T cells that can completely block both responses.
Author: Andy Coghlan
More at: Vaccine (vol 20, p 1532)
http://www.newscientist.com New Scientist issue 2nd March 2002
PLEASE MENTION NEW SCIENTIST AS THE SOURCE OF THIS STORY AND, IF PUBLISHING ONLINE, PLEASE CARRY A HYPERLINK TO : http://www.newscientist.com
New Scientist
These soil bacteria are closely related to the TB bug, and observations in Africa have suggested that TB and its relatives can also have a protective effect. So Erb`s team reasoned that BCG, a mild strain of the bacterium that causes TB in cows, might also protect against asthma when sprayed into the lungs.
"The biggest surprise was that the mycobacteria didn`t have to be alive to cause the effect," says Erb. Only injections of live BCG can protect people against TB.
Crucially, his team also showed that the balance had shifted away from the Th2 response. So-called T helper 2 (Th2) white blood cells had vanished from the mice`s lungs. Also banished were eosinophils, cells that aggravate asthma by releasing histamine.
In their place, Erb found high levels of interferon-gamma, a messenger substance that he thinks excludes the Th2 cells. "It could be the signal saying: `Don`t come in`, or `Don`t stay`," he says.
But both the live and killed versions of BCG caused lung inflammation in the mice, which would be unacceptable in people. "The last thing you should put into the lung of an asthmatic is something that causes even more inflammation," Erb says. "The trick is to find which components of the vaccines do the trick so you still get the benefits without any side effects."
So he and his colleagues are testing fragments of the dead bacteria to see if any of them protect against asthma without causing inflammation. Most promising, he believes, are "CpG motifs"-slugs of bacterial DNA unusually rich in the nucleotide bases guanine and cytosine that provoke a strong immune response.
Other groups are also developing asthma vaccines. SR Pharma of London is already carrying out trials with a heat-killed soil bacterium, Mycobacterium vaccae, which is injected into the skin. Initial results suggest it does reduce the severity of asthma and eczema in patients. But a vaccine that can be safely delivered to the lungs might be even more effective.
Graham Rook of University College London, a cofounder of SR Pharma, adds that the focus of research is shifting away from simply trying to alter the Th2/Th1 balance. His and other groups are studying regulatory T cells that can completely block both responses.
Author: Andy Coghlan
More at: Vaccine (vol 20, p 1532)
http://www.newscientist.com New Scientist issue 2nd March 2002
PLEASE MENTION NEW SCIENTIST AS THE SOURCE OF THIS STORY AND, IF PUBLISHING ONLINE, PLEASE CARRY A HYPERLINK TO : http://www.newscientist.com
New Scientist
Asthma Current Events and Asthma News RSSPoll: Many parents, high-priority adults who tried to get H1N1 vaccine unable to get it
A new national poll from Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that a majority of adults who tried to get the H1N1 vaccine for themselves or their children have been unable to do so.
Key player identified in cascade that leads to hypertension-related kidney damage
A key player in a cascade that likely begins with stress and leads to high blood pressure and kidney damage has been identified by researchers who say the finding may lead to better ways to control both.
Common plants can eliminate indoor air pollutants
Air quality in homes, offices, and other indoor spaces is becoming a major health concern, particularly in developed countries where people often spend more than 90% of their time indoors.
USC study finds big air pollution impacts on local communities
Heavy traffic corridors in the cities of Long Beach and Riverside are responsible for a significant proportion of preventable childhood asthma, and the true impact of air pollution and ship emissions on the disease has likely been underestimated, according to researchers at the University of Southern California (USC).
Acetaminophen may be linked to asthma in children and adults
New research shows that the widely used pain reliever acetaminophen may be associated with an increased risk of asthma and wheezing in both children and adults exposed to the drug.
Oral contraceptives may benefit women with asthma
New research shows that during natural menstrual cycles, women with asthma who were not taking oral contraceptives (OC) had lower exhaled nitric oxide levels (eNO), a marker of airway inflammation associated with asthma, than women who were taking OC.
American Dietetic Association Releases Updated Position Paper Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding
The American Dietetic Association has released an updated position paper on breastfeeding that details health benefits for both infants and mothers and encourages promotion of breastfeeding whenever possible.
Researchers discover links between city walkability and air pollution exposure
A new study compares neighborhoods' walkability (degree of ease for walking) with local levels of air pollution and finds that some neighborhoods might be good for walking, but have poor air quality.
Lessons from flu seasons past
Pregnant women who catch the flu are at serious risk for flu-related complications, including death, and that risk far outweighs the risk of possible side effects from injectable vaccines containing killed virus, according to an extensive review of published research and data from previous flu seasons.
'Difficult-to-treat asthma' may be due to difficult-to-treat patients
Difficult-to-treat asthma often may have more to do with patients who do not take their medication as instructed than ineffective medication, according to researchers in Northern Ireland.
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