Researcher Discovers Drug That May Cure All Allergies

According to Daily Express and ScienceDaily, researchers have discovered a ground-breaking drug - a protein that blocks the inflammatory action of mast cells and has the potential to cure all allergic diseases.

Mast cells are found in the eye, nose, airways, skin, and gut. As part of the immune system, they protect us from invasion against bacteria and parasites; however, for allergy sufferers, mast cells react to substances like dust mites, pollen, and food, releasing histamine and other inflammatory chemicals that initiate and sustain allergic reactions.

Hebrew University Researcher Ido Bachelet found a specific receptor protein on mast cells that prevents them from unleashing allergic responses. However, the protein, known as CD300a, is found throughout the immune system on other types of cells, too - which means that simply targeting CD300a would produce undesirable immune system suppression.

To overcome this problem, Bachelet designed a synthetic antibody fragment that can recognize two targets at the same time: the CD300a receptor as well as a certain mast-cell-specific marker. Therefore, the antibody only affects CD300a receptors on mast cells.

The research project is known as Receptra, and Bachelet predicts that his discovery will be the first line of allergy treatment in the future. In lab tests with mice, the antibody eliminated four types of allergic diseases, including asthma, with virtually no side effects. Mice with severe chronic asthma reverted to normal, health mice within two months of treatment. Tests with humans are planned within the next year.

Posted by Craig on Wednesday, August 08, 2007

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Researcher Discovers Drug That May Cure All Allergies

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