Developing better drugs for asthma, high blood pressure

Research will focus on asthma and high blood pressure. Chronic high blood pressure leads to arteriosclerosis that can cause subsequent illnesses such as strokes, heart attacks, or visual disorders. For asthma and high blood pressure, the researchers are systematically examining the regulatory effect of small RNA (ribonucleic acid) strands. In other words, they are using bioinformatic methods to identify illness-related genes; that is, the genes on which the effectiveness of a drug depends. From these results, they want to develop new molecular treatment methods. This means they want to modify drugs to make further complications less frequent. 'In principle, we could use this approach to analyse all illnesses that influence each other,' says Ralf Hofestädt.

'Particularly in our aging society, this type of research is playing an increasingly important role. Statistically speaking, roughly 80 per cent of the over-70s have more than five illnesses that all have to be treated at the same time. This means that they have to take a variety of drugs,' Hofestädt explains. That, in turn, often leads to a host of complications that may also include new illnesses. 'In the ideal case, we want to prevent these further complications right at the start of treatment.'

The research team in this constellation has come together through the support of the Volkswagen Foundation. 'However, the formation of our team is also the outcome of a long-term and successful cooperation between Novosibirsk and Bielefeld in the field of bioinformatics,' says Hofestädt.