Scientific breakthrough could be ‘crucial’ to treating asthma

IRISH scientists have helped make a discovery which may be crucial in the treatment of asthma and other allergic diseases which affect half a million people in this country.

A previously unknown white blood cell has been found which plays a key role in triggering allergic responses by releasing a chemical when exposed to allergens.

In lab experiments using parasitic worms to trigger these responses, Professor Padraic Fallon from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) and his collaborators in Britain were able to identify the cell found around the intestine or the lungs as the start point of allergic reactions.