Asthma is one of the most common respiratory conditions in the world. According to World Health Organization, around 200 million people suffer from it, and it affects people from all walks of life, even those who live in developed nations.
In New Zealand, around 16% of adults and 25% of the children in the country have asthma symptoms, making it the second nation to have the highest prevalence of the illness. Asthma, further, is responsible for the over 50% increase of hospitalization over the last 30 years.
Thus, the news of the positive results of an asthma vaccine trial is a fresh welcome.
A team of researchers and scientists from Wellington, especially from Ferrier Research Institute of Victoria University and Malaghan Institute, have patented a potential vaccine for asthma. This is after the formula was tested among genetically modified mice, which then responded positively to the vaccine. After they were given of it, the inflammation around the respiratory tract reduced and air passageways expanded.
How does the vaccine work? It stimulates the creation of T-cells, which then look for cells that reacted to the allergens and have caused the inflammation, which then leads to typical asthma symptoms such as difficulty in breathing and wheezing.
Calling it such an exciting time, the researchers hope that they can replicate the same principle in order to prevent other types of diseases like cancer by harnessing the potent T-cells.
Moreover, they are confident that they can produce the vaccine in large quantities and that the vaccine's effects can last for a long time even if they will be exposed to the same allergens many times, which means asthma sufferers may no longer have to take their medications regularly.
They also cannot wait to test the vaccines on humans. However, they wanted to be more realistic and admitted it may take around 4 years before they can be assured that the vaccine is already suitable for humans.
You can read more about the patented vaccine in Nature Chemical Biology.