Gene breakthrough –a ray of hope for asthma and eczema sufferers

Eczema and asthma sufferers now have a new ray of hope as an international team of researchers led by experts from Dundee University have found the gene that causes dry skin and predisposes people to eczema and asthma. This is the gene which is responsible for producing a protein that makes skin waterproof and keeps out infections. The discovery could lead to new treatments for conditions that affect millions of people, and was welcomed by a range of charities concerned with skin conditions.

University of Dundee experts say the gene they have identified produces a protein known as filaggrin, which is normally found in the outermost layers of the skin. The protein is vital for preventing skin dryness by ensuring that the skin forms a barrier to keep water in and foreign organisms out. All genes come in pairs, so the degree of disability depends on whether people have a single defective copy or two. About 10per cent of the population carry a single defective copy, and have dry and flaky skin. But those with two defective copies -- about 1 in 500 people -- make no filaggrin and have a severe and persistent disease called ichthyosis vulgaris. The only current treatment for eczema is through the use of emollients, skin ointments or anti-inflammatory drugs.

A study of Irish children found about two-thirds of children with eczema have a defect in the gene and a study of Danish children found that more than 60 per cent with the mutated gene acquired the disease in the first few years of life. A third study of children in Scotland found a "very strong association" between the gene and eczema and asthma. The discovery suggests new ways of treating the root cause rather than its symptoms. Now the gene defect that underlies most cases is known, scientists have a target and the Dundee team is already looking for drugs that will stimulate production of the protein, called filaggrin.

The news, revealed in two academic papers today and next month in the journal Nature Genetics, was hailed as a "real step forward", by the National Eczema Society, which added: "Above all, it answers the age-old question asked by most eczema sufferers - 'why?'" Another group said it held out the prospect of a treatment - or even a cure - with "truly life-changing possibilities" for people with the diseases. More than five million people in Britain suffer from asthma, and six million from eczema.