THE’asthma is a chronic disease that affects breathing and is characterized by inflammation of the airways (bronchi and bronchioles). Most often, asthma attacks are caused by allergic reactions. However, a recent study carried out by Belgian, Canadian and French scientists has just shown that children who live in the countryside suffer less from allergies … and are therefore less prone to asthma attacks.
The study was carried out on mice. After various laboratory tests, the researchers understood that a certain protein (the protein A20, of its small name) had the power to strengthen our immune system. However, our body naturally produces this protein when our lungs come into contact with particular dust, which is found in large quantities in the air of the countryside. “After breathing dust typical of rural areas, the mice tested in the laboratory were immune to certain allergens, including dust mites”, explain the scientists. However, allergy to dust mites affects an average of 1 in 3 French people.
To verify their first results, the scientists studied 2,000 European volunteers (mostly Germans and Swiss) who had grown up in a rural environment. Verdict? None of them (or almost) suffered from allergies or asthma. “The next step in our work will be to determine which is the active substance in the dust that allows the synthesis of the A20 protein”, explain the researchers.
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