Single gene targeted for asthma sufferers

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 29 (UPI) -- Researchers at the University of California-San Diego say a single gene can be targeted for treating asthma sufferers.

They say when the gene called IKK beta is selectively inactivated in the membrane-lining cells of the bronchial tubes of mice, scarring, mucus production and airway inflammation that patients suffer from is significantly reduced.

The researchers say the bronchial tubes of a patient with severe asthma can become scarred due to repeated episodes of allergic inflammation in the airways. The scarring results in blocked airways, excessive production of mucus and shortness of breath.

The study by Drs. David H. Broide and Michael Karin will be published in the Dec. 6 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"This finding is significant because it suggests that if we can produce a drug that inhibits IKK beta -- for example, a drug that is inhaled to target only the patient's bronchial tubes and not their immune cells -- then the scarring, inflammation, and mucus production in asthma could be significantly reduced," said Broide.