Two new studies jointly published in Nature Communications reveal that certain species of fungi in the gut play a key role in the development of immune dysregulation and some pediatric allergic diseases—and may be promising targets for new therapies.

“Hundreds of millions of children worldwide are affected by allergic diseases, and the number is growing,” says Turvey, senior author of the study, an investigator at BCCHR and a professor of pediatrics at the University of British Columbia. “A better understanding of what gives rise to these conditions and how we can prevent them would have an enormous benefit for children around the globe.”