Harnessing natural compounds for the treatment of asthma

Asthma UK-funded scientists are undertaking an ambitious project to create modified versions of natural tuberculosis (TB) molecules for the treatment of asthma.

Infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the bacterium that causes TB, has been linked to a decreased risk of developing allergic asthma.

Professor Johan Grooten at the University of Ghent in Belgium has discovered that molecules called mycolic acids, which are found in the cell wall of the TB bacterium, seem to contribute to this effect.

He believes that mycolic acids have the potential to suppress immune responses to allergens such as pollen and cat hair that trigger asthma symptoms in some people.

With support from Asthma UK, Professor Grooten will work together with Professor Mark Baird in Wales, an expert on mycolic acid chemistry.

Their aim is to harness the potential of mycolic acids by creating finely-tuned versions of these molecules. They will make small changes to mycolic acids in order to increase their ability to suppress asthma-causing immune responses, and minimise any side effects.

Professor Baird and his colleagues hope that in future the molecules they create can be developed into effective new asthma treatments.