A new, possible, cure for Asthma?

[Sianey]

I read a short article in a national newspaper about a year and a half ago, which seemed to suggest that a new vaccination was being tested that could help prevent and ease the signs of Asthma. One for various allergies had already been tested with positive results!

My question is, has anyone taken part in any trials? Or do you know anyone who has or have any information at all in regards to this vaccine? I would be keen to know if such a vaccine is indeed as wonderful as it sounds and can help to control Asthma more successfully than inhalers.

Many thanks.

[National Jewish Health]

A very good question.  There has been interest, for at least a decade, a possible relationship between exposure/infection with tuberculosis and a possible protective effect of this, against atopic (allergic) disease, most notably asthma.  The reasons for believing this might be so are complex and grounded in our understanding of our immune systems and their response to TB or BCG [a bovine  related vaccine deemed to provide some measure of protection against TB infection in humans), an immune response that might “damp-down” allergic responses and thus prevent the development of asthma, a disease that in many instances, has an allergic component.

However, recent studies with the administration of currently available BCG in humans have not shown any protective effect against atopic (allergic) diseases.  Nevertheless, research in this area of Medicine continues, especially in China, but at this time there is no universally proven or accepted asthma vaccine.