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.

COVID-19 vaccines prompt the body to make long-lasting T cells against different variants

Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have found that four COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, J&J/Janssen, and Novavax) prompt the body to make effective, long-lasting T cells against SARS-CoV-2.

25 Jan 2022

Study identifies respiratory syncytial viral protein that mediates RSV-induced autophagy

A viral protein might contain information that could be used to avoid pneumonia due to the body’s overactive response to respiratory viruses, such as COVID-19.

20 Jan 2022

Blocking function of blood-clotting protein prevents bone loss from gum disease in mice

Blocking function of a blood-clotting protein prevented bone loss from periodontal (gum) disease in mice, according to research led by scientists at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), part of the National Institutes of Health.

24 Dec 2021

New nanoparticle adjuvant could lead to more powerful vaccines

A common strategy to make vaccines more powerful is to deliver them along with an adjuvant -; a compound that stimulates the immune system to produce a stronger response.

6 Dec 2021

Treatment with common allergy medication linked to improved immunotherapy response

New research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center found that treatment with antihistamines, a commonly used allergy medication, was associated with improved responses to immune checkpoint inhibitors.

29 Nov 2021

Researchers expand understanding of how T cells recognize infections or disease

T cells communicate with other cells in the body in search of infections or diseases. This crosstalk relies on specialized receptors known as T cell receptors that recognize foreign molecular fragments from an infection or cancer that are presented for detection by particular molecules called major histocompatibility complex (MHC) or MHC-like.

23 Nov 2021

Novel therapy induces phagocytosis to treat bacterial pneumonia

Scientists from the National Institutes of Health recently found a therapy that targets host cells instead of bacterial cells in treating bacterial pneumonia.

17 Nov 2021

Study identifies a compound capable of easing symptoms of coronavirus infections

A group of researchers recently discovered a compound that reveals potential in alleviating the symptoms of coronavirus infections.

8 Nov 2021

Low dose of pollutants in food leads to high activation of antibodies that cause allergic response

Exposure to the heavy metal cadmium is known to irritate the stomach and lungs or cause kidney disease, but new research links another health issue to inadvertently ingesting low doses of the pollutant: high activation of the antibodies that cause an allergic response.

27 Oct 2021

Study identifies highly potent monoclonal antibody against all SARS-CoV-2 variants

Researchers identified a greatly potent monoclonal antibody that aims at the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.

19 Oct 2021

Delta opioid receptor agonists modulate immune responses to ameliorate colonic inflammation

Opioids are a class of substances that control sensations such as pain and emotions in animals. While plant-derived opioid narcotics such as morphine are the most well-recognized, other opioid molecules like endorphins can also be synthesized by the body or artificially developed in laboratories.

From Tokyo University of Science 1 Oct 2021

Mast cell precursor cells get activated when exposed to allergic stimulation, shows study

Mast cell precursor cells do not just cause an increase in mature mast cells during inflammation, they also play an active role in diseases like asthma. This finding is in a new study by immunology researchers published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

1 Oct 2021

Discovery of biological response platform may hold the keys to helping people manage allergies

New discoveries about a built-in rapid reaction system that triggers inflammatory responses when people are exposed to allergens, such as insects, mites, and fungi, also may hold the keys to helping more people manage their allergies in years to come.

17 Sep 2021

Researchers demonstrate efficacy of vaccine candidates for various filoviruses

The efficacy of multiple vaccine candidates that target three filoviruses responsible for life-threatening infections to humans has been demonstrated in monkeys.

1 Sep 2021

T cell-depleted macaques can mount potent memory responses against SARS-CoV-2

New research conducted in monkeys reveals that T cells are not critical for the recovery of primates from acute COVID-19 infections.

28 Jul 2021

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