Frequently asked questions about research

Asthma UK is one of main funders of asthma research in the UK. We provide support for expert scientists and doctors around the country to carry out research into all aspects of asthma.

There are two main strands to Asthma UK's research programme:

• Scientific studies to investigate the causes of asthma and understand how symptoms arise. This includes exploring ideas for the creation of new asthma treatments. 
• Medical studies to assess new treatments and ways to control asthma symptoms. This includes studies into the psychological aspects of asthma and non-drug approaches to managing symptoms.

Yes. We fund research to help people with asthma take more control over their symptoms without using medicines.

For example, an Asthma UK Research Fellow, Dr Mike Thomas, has proven that breathing exercises can help some people with asthma. In addition, Professor Adnan Custovic in Manchester is a world-leader in how our home environment affects asthma symptoms, and researchers in London are currently investigating whether taking vitamin D supplements during pregnancy can help women lower their child’s asthma risk.

Research funded by Asthma UK is carried out in university research departments, hospitals and GP surgeries across the UK. Use our interactive map to find Asthma UK-funded researchers near you.

We only fund research projects led by UK-based scientists. However, the research community is incredibly collaborative and scientists commonly work with colleagues from across the globe.

For example, Professor Mark Baird in Wales is working closely with Professor Johan Grooten in Belgium on an Asthma UK-funded project to develop new asthma treatments based on naturally-occurring chemicals.

You can find out about the selection process we use in Choosing the best research.

We spend around £1.5 to £3 million each year on research. To date, we have spent over £50 million on research to understand more about asthma, discover its causes and develop new treatments.

You can find out more about the research we fund in the Where your money goes section of this website.

Asthma UK spends around a quarter of its charitable expenditure on scientific and medical research.

We do have some very good treatments for asthma but unfortunately they do not work for everyone. About 5% of people with asthma in the UK still struggle with severe symptoms despite taking high doses of medicines on a daily basis. We need to understand why this is in order to develop alternative treatment approaches for these people.

In addition, although current treatments work very well for many people with asthma, they can lead to unwanted side effects, particularly when taken at high doses.

Asthma UK-funded researchers Professor Fan Chung and Professor Clare Lloyd are investigating specific molecules produced by the body that cause severe symptoms and prevent current treatments from working effectively. These scientists hope to discover how to create powerful and precise treatments for severe asthma with fewer side effects.

It takes an average of 10-20 years to turn a new scientific discovery into a treatment ready for use by the NHS.

We have a long and successful history of conducting research to investigate the causes of asthma and understand the processes in the body that cause asthma symptoms and trigger asthma attacks.

In particular, researchers at the MRC-Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma, such as Professors Tak Lee and Tim Williams, have made huge advances in our understanding of allergic asthma which are already being used to create new treatments.

However, other research projects should bring about benefits much more quickly. For example, Janet Stocks’ new reference charts for children are already being used in some hospitals. And Paul Seddon’s work to create questionnaires for the families of wheezy young children should be in use in the next three years.

Building on the many successes we have achieved to date, we can be sure that Asthma UK’s work will help many thousands of people with asthma.

There are lots of ways you can donate or raise money for Asthma UK. If you’d like your gift to be spent on research, call our Supporter & Information team on 0800 121 62 55 and let them know.

Any money donated specifically for research will be used to support the research programme in general. However, if you think your donation will be substantial or if you have a specific research area in mind, and you'd like to support a particular project, do give us a call on
0800 121 62 55.

Funding research into the causes of asthma is a priority for people with asthma, Asthma UK and our supporters because we still do not know exactly why some people develop asthma or how to prevent it. Our research programme reflects the views and experiences of people with asthma and the leading current opinions and knowledge in science and asthma care.

We know that asthma is a complex condition, and our researchers are still piecing together the information to answer important questions that will help to identify the underlying causes, and find new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent asthma. Under certain circumstances, some of this research cannot be done without involving animals. Asthma UK understands and appreciates that people do have concerns about medical research involving animals, and charities providing funding support for it, and shares people's concerns about the well-being of animals in medical research.

• Asthma UK supports the Home Office's commitment to the 3Rs, which serves to refine experimental techniques and procedures, reduce the number of animals involved in research and replace animals in research wherever possible.
• All Asthma UK supported researchers whose research projects involve the use of animals require licenses from the Home Office for both themselves and the project itself.
• Each research project application is carefully screened and reviewed by Asthma UK’s Research Committee of scientific and medical experts, is also peer reviewed by other international experts and there is a dedicated section within the application addressing justification for the use of animals which must be completed satisfactorily.
• The research project must meet Asthma UK's strict criteria, including how it will help us to learn more about asthma, and adhere to the Home Office's guidelines for the welfare of the animals.
• Asthma UK is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) and we adhere to their guidelines on medical research involving animals.

There is currently no cure for asthma and it causes around 1,200 deaths in the UK every year. More people would die and others would lead a more debilitating, restricted life if some of the major advances in medical understanding and asthma treatments had not been made through past research, some of which has involved the use of animals.

We would like to reassure our supporters that Asthma UK would only consider funding research involving animals if all other possibilities have been carefully and fully considered, the research is not an unnecessary duplication of previous work and it is likely to lead to essential information that could otherwise not be achieved by alternative methods.

Funding research into the causes of asthma is a priority for people with asthma, Asthma UK and our supporters because we still do not know exactly why some people develop asthma or how to prevent it. Our research programme reflects the views and experiences of people with asthma and the leading current opinions and knowledge in science and asthma care.

Asthma UK understands and appreciates that people do have concerns about medical research involving human embryos, and charities providing funding support for it. Asthma UK does not currently fund any projects that require human or hybrid human embryos but as a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities, backs their support of the use of human embryos and the creation of hybrid human embryos when the research has the potential to make significant medical advances.

Under strict regulations, human embryos may be created and maintained outside the body for no longer than 14 days to provide a source of stem cells. Stem cells are unspecialised cells that have the potential to become any type of cell within the human body. These cells can provide vital information on how conditions develop because they enable us to study how cells mature from the very early stages. In certain circumstances the shells of animal eggs may house human DNA taken from patients to produce hybrid human embryos. Human embryos or human hybrid embryos could be used in this way in asthma research to look at how the cells of the airways develop in the first place. Alternatively the stem cells might be used as a source of new airway tissue for people with asthma.

Asthma UK has not excluded the possibility of providing funding for this research area in the future but such research would take into consideration the views of people with asthma, healthcare professionals and researchers on this sensitive issue. Should the circumstances arise and Asthma UK were to agree to fund this research, proposed work would have to comply with the very strict legal requirements as outlined by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (1990) following approval by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

The annual call for research proposals, our research strategy and summaries of all funded research are made public on our website at asthma.org.uk, along with scientific publications arising from the research projects.

We would like to reassure our supporters that Asthma UK would only consider funding this research if it is likely to give essential information that could not be achieved by alternative methods.

How about becoming an Asthma UK Research and Policy (RaP) volunteer? Our RaP volunteers can take part in five exciting opportunities:

• take part in research studies and policy work and share your experience of living with asthma to influence researchers and politicians
• help shape the future of Asthma UK’s research into the cause, diagnosis, treatment and management of asthma
• take part in focus groups to discuss topics relevant and important to you
• speak up about what matters to you in questionnaires, web-polls and interviews
• influence central, regional and local government and other key decision-makers about asthma. 

If you’re interested in becoming a Research and Policy volunteer, contact our Supporter and Information Team on 0800 121 62 55 or email info@asthma.org.uk.

As an independent charity, our research programme is totally independent from pharmaceutical company research. We aim to share information on all the latest developments in asthma research and drug treatments through the website and in our publications, but we do not promote or endorse specific drugs.

As a charity dependent on voluntary donations, we do rely on support from individuals and industry bodies; approximately 4% of our income originates from pharmaceutical companies.

We review our policies regularly and we will continue to work with industry where we believe it is in the interests of people with asthma.