Allergy News and Research

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The term allergy encompasses a wide range of conditions; it is not a disease in itself. In 1906 Clemens von Pirquet was the first to describe allergies as a changed or altered reaction of the immune system in response to exposure to foreign proteins. These days the term allergy – medically termed hypersensitivity, signifies an exaggerated reaction to foreign substances.

Researchers develop repository showcasing antibody activity on spike protein variants

Scientists have created an “atlas” that charts how 152 different antibodies attack a major piece of the SARS-CoV-2 machinery, the spike protein.

27 Jul 2021

Isoflavone diet plus metabolizing gut bacteria may provide protection against MS

A new University of Iowa study suggests that metabolism of plant-based dietary substances by specific gut bacteria, which are lacking in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), may provide protection against the disease.

14 Jul 2021

NCI grants over $4.2 million to launch the Cancer Epitope Database and Analysis Resource

Researchers are about to welcome a new one-stop shop for crucial information on how the immune system targets cancers.

3 Jun 2021

Exposure to chemicals in plastic during the fetal stage is linked with a lower IQ

Bisphenol F chemical (found in plastics) may cause changes in a gene that is crucial for neurological development. Researchers from the Swedish universities of Uppsala and Karlstad made this discovery.

21 May 2021

Low K777 concentrations inhibit cathepsin L and reduce SARS-CoV-2’s ability to infect host cell lines

For a long time, James McKerrow, MD, PhD, dean of the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California San Diego, has investigated neglected tropical diseases, which are chronic, disabling parasitic infections mainly affecting the poor and underserved communities in developing nations.

From UC San Diego 5 Apr 2021

B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 spreading quickly in the United States

The faster-spreading B.1.1.7 variant of SARS-CoV-2 first detected in the United Kingdom, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, is quickly on its way to becoming the dominant variant of the virus in the United States, according to a study from scientists at Scripps Research and the COVID-19 test maker Helix.

31 Mar 2021

Monitoring pollen levels using environmental DNA

In this interview, AZoLifeSciences speaks to Dr. Ben Wheeler about his latest research and how we monitor pollen levels using environmental DNA.

From University of Exeter 25 Mar 2021

Study identifies a new mechanism that causes airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma

Asthma is a condition in which a person’s airways turn hyperresponsive.

15 Mar 2021

Environmental DNA could help better understand grasses that cause allergies

Pollen from grass is a significant outdoor allergen that causes widespread and expensive respiratory conditions, such as hay fever (rhinitis) and allergic asthma.

15 Mar 2021

Researchers identify gene variant associated with childhood asthma

Researchers at Henry Ford Health System, as part of a national asthma collaborative, have identified a gene variant associated with childhood asthma that underscores the importance of including diverse patient populations in research studies.

1 Mar 2021

How is climate change affecting the allergy season?

AZoLifeSciences speaks to Professor William Anderegg about his latest research into climate change and how it is affecting the allergy season.

From The University of Utah 23 Feb 2021

Study provides a causal link between the Alzheimer's risk gene and COVID-19

A City of Hope-led research team found that the same gene that increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease, ApoE4, can increase the susceptibility to and severity of COVID-19.

5 Feb 2021

Fecal microbiome differs in healthy and food-allergic twins

A new study out of the University of Chicago and Stanford University on pairs of twins with and without food allergies has identified potential microbial players in this condition. The results were published on Jan. 19 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

20 Jan 2021

DNA-editing technique used to extend lifespan of mice with progeria

Researchers have successfully used a DNA-editing technique to extend the lifespan of mice with the genetic variation associated with progeria, a rare genetic disease that causes extreme premature aging in children and can significantly shorten their life expectancy.

From National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) 7 Jan 2021

New project on self-deleting gene technology takes aim at mosquito populations

To control mosquito populations and prevent them from transmitting diseases such as malaria, many researchers are pursuing strategies in mosquito genetic engineering. A new Texas A&M AgriLife Research project aims to enable temporary "test runs" of proposed genetic changes in mosquitoes, after which the changes remove themselves from the mosquitoes' genetic code.

29 Dec 2020

Gene expression database sheds light on pneumococcal infection

Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine published one of the most comprehensive analyses of how genes get expressed during infection (known as a transcriptome).

16 Dec 2020

Researchers target pathogenic T cells that could lead to new immunotherapy treatments

According to a new study, a novel T cell genetically engineered by scientists from The University of Arizona Health Sciences can target and attack pathogenic T cells that are responsible for causing Type 1 diabetes. These latest findings may result in new immunotherapy therapies.

7 Dec 2020