Search for allergy prevention
through extensive population sampling

A new allergy study uniquely combines large-scale population samples in the search for preventive measures for allergies. The aim is to identify predisposing and protective factors related to allergies by integrating the special expertise from many different fields of research. The project includes a comprehensive survey of genetic and environment-based risk factors and their mutual interaction and role in the development of allergies. The final objective is to develop methods to prevent and treat allergies.

This project is part of the Academy of Finland’s research programme entitled Responding to Public Health Challenges (SALVE). The project will be implemented by a consortium, in other words, through project co-operation between the universities of Tampere, Helsinki and Turku, and the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

One important research subject is the hygienic hypothesis, which looks at interactions between genetics and environmental issues as based on Russian Karelia and Finland; the infants’ exposure to microbes is very different in these locations. The consortium combines extensive amounts of well researched patient-control subject data, data related to nutrition, microbes and environmental factors, genetic definitions and special expertise related to the immune system.

This multidisciplinary research approach involves the combination of both sample collections and register information with strong genetic, immunological, microbiological and epidemiological expertise.

The mechanisms in the immune system that lead to the development of allergies are activated already in childhood, even as early as during foetal development. The consortium will base its work on the assumption that these very early months that affect the maturity of the human immune system are fundamental in terms of the co-operation between the genes, microbes and the immune system and are also related to allergen responses. The consortium will investigate the genetic-environmental interactions which transmit these mechanisms, and develop possible solutions for managing an allergy epidemic.

Allergies form one of the most extensive public health problems in the Western world. In Europe, approximately 80 million people suffer from allergies, and about 30 million have asthma. Despite increasing information about genes and the development of allergies, the mechanisms remain, for the most part, a mystery.

The consortium includes projects led by the following professors:
- Heikki Hyöty, Project Leader , Medical School, University of Tampere
- Juha Kere, Biomedicum, University of Helsinki
- Riitta Lahesmaa, Turku Centre for Biotechnology, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University
- Mikael Knip, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, University of Helsinki
- Suvi Virtanen, University of Tampere and the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)

For further information, please contact Professor Heikki Hyöty, heikki.hyoty@uta.fi