Prof. Čustović: Air pollution has a major impact on health, clean air must be a priority

(Patria) - Organized by the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, one of the world's leading experts in the field of allergology and pediatric pulmonology, Prof. Dr. Adnan Čustović held a public lecture on the topic "Interaction of Genes and Environment in the Development of Asthma and Allergy".

Prof. Čustović has been a domestic member of ANUBiH since 2019, and is a Professor of Pediatric Allergology at Imperial College London and the founder of the Frankland-Kay Institute for Allergology. During the lecture, he spoke about the most modern scientific findings and challenges in understanding the complex mechanisms that lead to the development of asthma and allergies.

"Asthma is not one disease – it is a series of different disorders with common symptoms, but different causes. That is precisely why it is important to understand how genes and environmental factors together shape the risk for disease development. The interactions between genetic predisposition and environmental exposure are key to understanding and preventing asthma in children and adults," stated Prof. Dr. Adnan Čustović.

Prof. Čustović believes that genetic studies of asthma often face limitations and inconsistencies precisely because of the neglect of the fact that environmental factors can modulate risk in genetically susceptible individuals through complex interactions between genes and the environment.

"It is important to understand how genes and environmental factors jointly affect the development of diseases – not only in asthma and allergies, but also more broadly. Today, we often apply the same approach to all patients, which is not ideal. Personalized medicine aims to give the right patient the right medicine – one that will work and will not harm them. To achieve this, we must understand the mechanisms of the disease and the complex interactions between genetic predisposition and the environment. The same environmental factor, such as the presence of a dog at home or attending kindergarten, can have completely different consequences for different individuals, depending on their genetics. The same applies to medications. Understanding these interactions is the first step towards truly personalized medicine," believes Prof. Dr. Adnan Čustović.

At the end of his lecture, Professor Čustović pointed out that we are facing a serious problem from the consequences of air pollution.

"Air pollution, like smoking, has a universally harmful effect on health. Individuals with genetic predisposition and sensitivity to environmental factors are particularly at risk. Exposure to pollution, especially during pregnancy and early childhood, has long-term consequences – children growing up in polluted environments develop lower lung function. People with lower lung function, say at 23 years of age, have a much higher chance of dying earlier from any cause. However, changes are possible – the example of California shows that legislative measures can reduce air pollution and improve the lung health of the population. Therefore, political action for cleaner air is now an absolute priority," emphasizes Prof. Čustović.

Professor Čustović is the author of over 450 scientific papers, with over 65,000 citations and an h-index of 119.

During his career, he received prestigious awards, including the Gold Medal of the European Respiratory Society and the William Frankland Medal for his contribution to the development of clinical allergology in the United Kingdom. He supervised twenty doctoral dissertations and was a member of numerous international academic and scientific bodies.