Worms to help combat allergies

Irish scientists are investigating parasitic worms to try to find new ways to prevent asthma and reduce allergies.

Dr Padraic Fallon, from Trinity College Dublin, and colleagues have already managed to cure asthma in lab mice by infecting them with the tiny creatures. The team now has to explain how the parasites achieve this feat at a molecular level.

If they can do that, they should then be able to synthesise a new drug compound to treat asthma in people.