Early Life Antibiotic Exposure Increases Asthma Risk –Study

Early exposure to antibiotics can trigger long term susceptibility to asthma. Results of the study are published in the journal Immunity.

Importantly, the research team isolated a molecule produced by gut bacteria that in the future could potentially be trialed as a simple treatment, in the form of a dietary supplement, for children at risk of asthma to prevent them developing the disease.

Asthma is a condition in which a person’s airways become inflamed, narrow and swell and produce extra mucus, which makes it difficult to breathe.

The research led by Professor Ben Marsland found a molecule, called IPA, that is crucial to long term protection against asthma.

Importantly, the finding of the molecule produced by bacteria in a healthy gut provides an explanation as to why the recurrent use of antibiotics increases the risk of asthma, according to Professor Marsland