Brussels, 18/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - A scientist supported by the European Union's Marie Curie research fund has found new evidence that a specific “asthma gene” is a cause of the respiratory condition in children. The young German scientist, Michaela Schedel, believes that her findings could bring a cure to the condition which causes a narrowing of the airways to the lungs. A hundred million people in Europe suffer from this illness.
“We have convincing evidence that a specific gene is involved in the development of asthma in children”, said 33-year-old Schedel, who carried out her initial research at Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich and is now working with a team under Professor Dr. Michael Kabesch, a leading expert in allergy genetics at Hannover Medical School. Schedel will present her findings in Washington this weekend at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Her research has focused on a specific gene called ORMDL3, which is found on one of the chromosomes which are the basis for each person's unique DNA identity. “We have a first hint on the causal relationship between this gene, present on chromosome 17, and the development of asthma, a sickness that can be treated but for which there is no cure yet”, the scientist explained.
The “Marie Curie Actions” provide grants at all career stages from post-graduate level to encourage international mobility among Europe's best researchers. The EU will allocate more than €4.5 billion under the scheme between 2007 and 2013. Since 1996, a total of 50,000 researchers have been supported by the “Marie Curie Actions”. (L.C./transl.rt)