SCIENTISTS may one day be able to cure allergies by deleting the immune cells that cause them, research suggests.
The cells could be the difference between why some allergies go away over time and others that last patients’ entire lives, scientists have found.
Two consecutive studies – one in children and one in adults – found a new type of immune cell that had not been linked to allergies before.
Professor Maria Curotto De Lafaille, from Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, said Living Science: “These cells can be analyzed as a kind of biological marker of allergy risk or allergy persistence.”
Britain has one of the highest levels of allergic conditions in the world, with one in five Britons affected by at least one illness, according to Allergy UK.
The conditions are caused by the body’s immune system overreacting and can be triggered by allergies to anything from foods, such as nuts or shellfish, to general anesthesia.
Warning signs include feeling dizzy or faint, difficulty breathing, fast heartbeat, clammy skin, and confusion or anxiety.
If someone is suffering from this, they may need to use an adrenaline auto-injector if they have one and you know how to use it, according to the NHS.
Ambulances must also be called immediately.
The first study, published in Scientific Translational Medicinelooked at how memory B cells trigger immune responses in people with long-term allergies.
Researchers analyzed blood samples from 58 children who were allergic to peanuts and 13 who were not.
They found that a subset of memory cells produces an allergy-related antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) when confronted with peanuts.
These cells can remain in the body for an indefinite period of time and possibly for a person’s entire life.
Dr. Joshua Koenig of McMaster University in Canada said the cells “directly create IgE antibodies, the type that makes us allergic.”
He said: “They are really the reservoir of allergy in long-term memory.”
The second study, also published in Scientific Translational Medicineindependently discovered the same set of cells in adult blood samples.
Six were allergic to birch pollen, four were allergic to dust mites, and 11 were allergic to peanuts.
The researchers said the discovery of the cells could pave the way for new treatments in the future that target cells, which could make allergies less of a problem or even cure them.
Dr Sarita Patel, from Harvard Medical School, who was not involved in the research, said: “It is an important area of study and key to understanding the persistence of diseases caused by antibodies, such as allergies.”
When should I call 999 if someone is having an allergic reaction?
Call 999 if:
- your lips, mouth, throat, or tongue suddenly become swollen
- you are breathing very quickly or have difficulty breathing (you may pant a lot or feel like you are choking or short of breath)
- your throat is tight or you are struggling to swallow
- your skin, tongue, or lips turn blue, gray, or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on your palms or soles of your feet)
- you suddenly become very confused, drowsy, or dizzy
- someone faints and can’t wake up
- a child is floppy, floppy, or unresponsive as they normally do (their head may fall to the side, back, or forward, or they may have difficulty lifting their head or focusing on your face)
You or the person who is unwell may also have a rash that is swollen, raised, or itchy.
These may be signs of a serious allergic reaction and may require immediate treatment in hospital.
Source: The National Health Service
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