Children who grow up in homes with dogs may be less likely to suffer asthma later in life, according to a new story from researchers at University of California-San Francisco (UCSF) and the University of Michigan.
For the study the researchers exposed a group of mice to allergens typically associated with dogs. These mice were then exposed to other allergens associated with cockroaches and dust mites. They found that those mice who had been exposed to the dog allergens were significantly less likely to develop signs of asthma over the course of their lives.
"The composition and function of the gut microbiome strongly influence immune reactions and present a novel avenue for development of therapeutics for both allergic asthma and a range of other diseases. Gut microbiome manipulation represents a promising new therapeutic strategy to protect individuals against both pulmonary infection and allergic airway disease," the researchers explained.
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