Respiratory Research Bulletin

The research into respiratory health that takes place in New Zealand and overseas plays a vital role in helping us to understand, diagnose and treat respiratory conditions. In this issue, we share some cutting-edge research from Aotearoa and beyond.

Groundbreaking allergy discovery in NZ

Wellington’s Malaghan Institute of Medical Research has made an important discovery about a missing link between the skin and the development of allergies. It is being referred to as the most significant immunological breakthrough in New Zealand in 20 years.

For the past decade, immunologists have been aware that exposure to allergens through the skin can affect someone’s predisposition to food allergies. Now, Malaghan researchers have found a molecule constantly present in the skin that favours allergic reaction.

The discovery of the IL-13 molecule shows why the skin might be primed to allergic response. It helps to explain why children can develop allergies to foods they’ve only been exposed to through their skin.

The discovery will have a positive impact on the development of immunotherapies to target inflammatory and allergic conditions.

How cannabis smoking affects the lungs

A new University of Otago study has found that prolonged cannabis use led to over-inflated lungs and increased the resistance to airflow to a greater extent than tobacco.

ARFNZ Scientific Advisory Board Member and study coauthor Professor Bob Hancox says: “Although the effects of cannabis were detrimental, the pattern of lung function changes was not the same as in tobacco use. This study also found that cannabis use may impair the ability of the lungs to extract oxygen from the breath. This is a known consequence of smoking tobacco but has not been demonstrated with cannabis until now.”

Vaping can exacerbate COVID symptoms, study finds

Another recent study from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, looked at the effects of vaping on COVID-19 symptoms. Some 290 COVID-positive vapers aged 18 and older were compared with similar-aged people who had COVID-19 but didn’t vape. The study found that those who vaped were more likely to report chest pain, chills, headaches, muscle aches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and the loss of smell or taste. These patients also reported higher rates of laboured breathing.

Research into breast milk’s impact on asthma risk

A Hungarian scientist who is newly arrived at the Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, is investigating links between the kind of milk a baby gets and how this affects their gut and the creation of T-cells.

Dr Gergely Toldi’s study, which is awaiting final approval, will involve analysing cord blood from the placentas of newborn babies in Auckland. Additional blood samples and stool samples will be collected three weeks after birth.

Dr Toldi plans to define how different types of milk affect the production in a baby’s gut of short chain fatty acids which, in turn, may be linked to the production and function of regulatory T-cells. These T-cells are thought to be associated with a reduced risk of asthma, obesity, and autoimmune diseases. The planned study would include around 25 fullterm and 25 pre-term babies, as well as ten healthy adults. The human microbiome is mostly established in the first months after birth and is affected by the type of milk a baby receives. Bacteria called Veillonella and Gemella, which support the function of regulatory T-cells, are more abundant in the guts of breastfed babies.

Dr Toldi hopes that the research will not only highlight the health benefits of breastfeeding but could also potentially help the manufacturers of baby formula to optimise their products.