Comment for BBC Online and the Press Association re research paper in Nature. Chitin induces accumulation in tissue of innate immune cells associated with allergy, Richard Locksley, Professor of Medicine and Microbiology and Immunology at University College San Francisco. Leanne Male, Asthma UK's Assistant Director of Research comments: "This study reveals a mechanism by which chitin can trigger allergic inflammation in animals. 5.2million people in the UK have asthma and are continuously exposed to chitin present in the environment, therefore, Asthma UK believes it is important that these results are confirmed in human studies and the exact role of chitin as an asthma trigger is established."