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An allergic reaction is a hypersensitive immune reaction that can be triggered by certain substances or environmental factors particular to an individual. Asthma is a condition or an allergic response in which the person’s airways become inflamed, inflated and accumulates excess mucus. It affects hundreds of millions around the world.

A kind of immune cells known as the t-cells are specialised and have what is we call an “immune memory” which helps it identify substances or protein particles of antigens or allergens previously encountered. The downside of this feature of the t-cell renders the body resistant to certain treatments. Therefore, by erasing this memory property of the immune cell by a process called desensitization, the immune system could be made tolerable to the allergen. While researchers have previously tried to insert or smuggle the allergens (using nanoparticle- “Trojan Horses”), past the immune system, the deal has gone a little more shady this time around- with the manipulation of the immune system itself and simply avoiding all known triggers.

This research was conducted in the University of Queensland, Australia by a bunch of researchers headed by lead researcher Ray Steptoe. They isolated the bone marrow from mice which was then genetically

modified to be Asthma resistant. This modified sample was then introduced into unmodified mice. These genetically engineered cells now produced blood cells that in turn produced target specific immune cells which could “turn off” allergic responses.

“Our work used an experimental asthma allergen, but this research could be applied to treat those who have severe allergies to peanuts, bee venom, shellfish and the like”

“In the real world, unfortunately, it’s not just usually a single allergen protein [that causes an immune response]. There might be several proteins that you might be allergic to and you’d have to target each of those proteins,” Steptoe states, as this research still has to replicate the same successful result in the human trials.

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