Asthma Treatment Likely With Salmonella

This is the research that can pave way for effective asthma treatment. Researchers from Germany experimenting on mice have found that Salmonella infections can reduce the incidence of asthma. The research is published in the journal Infection and Immunity. The research may likely lead to treatments. 

There has been a dramatic increase in incidence of allergies in recent years. The surge in allergies is explained with the help of a leading theory known as "hygiene hypothesis". According to this theory, the surge results from modern obsession with cleanliness resulting in improperly developed immune systems. Earlier researches had indicated that there is a reduced incidence of asthma in children infected with Salmonella. 

The study based on previous research the investigators found that Salmonella infection correlated with reduced airway inflammation, according to first author Venkateswaran Ganesh. The reduction in inflammation, according to Ganesh is linked to reduced production of an inflammatory compound called interleukin-4, which is produced by T helper-2 cells. The researchers found that the T helper-2 cells is regulated by a certain  type of "myelod" immune cell which can induce lesser production of less interleukin-4. Myeloid cells include an array of immune cells, and are ultimately derived from the bone marrow.   

"By performing cell culture assays and studies in rodents, we could determine the influence of myeloid cells on Th2 cells," he explained. The research could lead to treatments based on the use of commensal bacteria (harmless, oft-helpful inhabitants of the body) resembling Salmonella as probiotics, or the application of myeloid cells as therapeutics, Ganesh said.

Roughly 26 million Americans, 8.2 percent of the population, have asthma, including 7.1 million (9.5%) children, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.