A CURE FOR ASTHMA?

Maryanne Venables has chronic asthma. "I can't go anywhere without my little gray friend, my little Ventolin inhaler." Like many asthmatics, she has long hoped for a drug breakthrough that makes managing the condition easier.

Now, there may be one. In "The Lancet" medical journal, Australian researchers say they have found that asthmatics share a common gene with sufferers of rheumatoid arthritis. And there's already a drug on the market, Tocilizumab, to treat rheumatoid arthritis. The hope is that the drug, which reduces arthritis inflammation, can also reduce inflammation in asthmatics. Dr. Manuel Ferreira is one of the scientists. "It's a drug that reduces the activity of the gene that we've now found has something to do with asthma.

"I think it certainly uncovers ground that doesn't seem to have been addressed before." More than 235 million people worldwide have asthma and the World Health Organization says it's the most common chronic disease among children. "I use a preventer, and I use an inhaler. If there are clinical trials in the future, if I was eligible for them I'd be very interested in participating." The researchers say more study needs to be conducted to assess the drug's effectiveness in treating asthma.

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