New asthma target identified

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University Relations Office (URO) [website]

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New asthma target identified

Source: University Relations Office (URO) [newswire]

June 14, 2004

McGill research group part of team publishing in Science

A new target for control of early-stage asthma has been identified by

McGill University professor Qutayba Hamid, working as part of a team

whose landmark study appears in the latest issue of the journal Science.

Dr. Hamid heads a research group on airway inflammation at the

Meakins-Christie Laboratories of the McGill University Health Centre

(MUHC). The group conducted research on human tissue, while colleagues

at Yale University worked with animal subjects.

What the researchers discovered is that a substance called acidic

mammalian chitinase (AMCase) — previously known to be associated with

parasitic infections — also plays a role in the T helper-2 (Th2)

inflammation of airways associated with allergic asthma. Inhibiting the

expression of AMCase may therefore prove to be effective in controlling

asthma.

Dr. Hamid cautions that these findings do not suggest a way to prevent

or cure asthma but that they might lead, in the next five to 10 years,

to new treatments to help control the condition. In a patient whose

asthma is not controlled, the airways are often permanently affected and

the condition becomes chronic.

Dr. Hamid stressed that the importance of research on asthma continues

to grow with the increased incidence worldwide. It is estimated that

there are about two million asthma sufferers in Canada and that about

five to 10 per cent of the world's population is affected. Recent

research has provided strong evidence to support the " hygiene

hypothesis " — that cleaner environments lead to fewer childhood

infections, thereby interfering with normal development of the immune

system and favouring Th2 inflammation and asthma.

The study on AMCase was conducted over a period of more than 12 months

and involved processing more than 100 samples.

Dr. Hamid is Associate Director of the Meakins-Christie Laboratories and

Leader of the Respiratory Axis of the MUHC Research Institute. McGill

and MUHC researchers have been on the front lines of asthma research for

more than 20 years. Their research is funded by grants from the Fonds de

la recherche en santé du Québec and the Canadian Institutes of Health

Research (CIHR), including a group grant on airway inflammation from the

CIHR. The Meakins-Christie labs constitute one of the few centres for

translational (lab to clinic) research on asthma in the world.

About McGill University:

McGill University is Canada's leading research-intensive university and

has earned an international reputation for scholarly achievement and

scientific discovery. Founded in 1821, McGill has 21 faculties and

professional schools which offer more than 300 programs from the

undergraduate to the doctoral level. McGill attracts renowned professors

and researchers from around the world and top students from more than

150 countries, creating one of the most dynamic and diverse education

environments in North America. There are approximately 23,000

undergraduate students and 7,000 graduate students. McGill was recently

named Canadian Research University of the Year in the Medical/Doctoral

category based on research funding and publication information compiled

by Research Infosource. It is one of two Canadian members of the

American Association of Universities. McGill's two campuses are located

in Montreal, Canada. For more information, please see www.mcgill.ca.

About the McGill University Health Centre:

The MUHC is one of North America's most comprehensive academic health

centres. It is a merger of five teaching hospitals affiliated with

McGill University — the Montreal Children's, Montreal General, Royal

, and Montreal Neurological Hospitals, as well as the Montreal

Chest Institute. The MUHC, whose clinical missions are paediatrics,

women's health, neurosciences, mental health, medicine and surgery, sees

over one million patients each year. Please consult the website for

additional information: www.muhc.ca.

Contact:

Qutayba Hamid

Associate Director

Meakins-Christie Laboratories

Zeindler, MSc

Coordinator of research communications

MUHC

Ext. 36419

Source:

Towell

Communications Officer

Office of the Vice-Principal (Research)