Asthma & Co: The end of allergies

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People with allergic asthma usually have to take medication for the rest of their lives. This is the only way they can suppress the inflammatory reactions of their immune system. Now US researchers have found a method that could give millions of asthmatics - but also other allergy sufferers - a sigh of relief: with the help of nanoparticles, they induce the immune system to tolerate allergenic substances again.

To do this, the researchers working with Stephen Miller from Northwestern University produced tiny spheres from a biopolymer (polylactide-co-glycolide, also known as PLGA). The substance contains lactic and glycolic acid, among other things, and is quickly broken down in the body. The shell works like a Trojan horse: In it, the scientists hid a protein contained in eggs, to which their laboratory mice normally reacted extremely allergically with asthma attacks.

Restart for the immune system

But thanks to the transport cover, there was no allergic reaction. The particle, together with the packaged allergen, was then engulfed by phagocytes. Only in it does the nano-shell dissolve and release the allergenic substance. "The macrophage then presents the allergen to the immune system and signals," Don't worry, this belongs here, "" explains senior author Miller. The immune system then stops its attacks on the protein. It is restarted, as it were. In fact, from then on there were no allergic reactions in the mice treated in this way.

Avoid, suppress, suffer

In addition to asthma, the method can also be used to permanently cure severe allergies. “It's a universal treatment. Depending on which allergy you want to eliminate, you can also load the nanoparticles with peanut proteins or ragweed pollen, ”says Miller.

So far, people suffering from allergies have only been able to avoid contact with the allergy trigger if possible or, if that is not possible, to take medication that suppresses the allergic reaction. But that doesn't always work out completely. In addition, the drugs have some side effects: Antihistamines, which are taken, for example, for hay fever, make you tired. Cortisone, which must be inhaled in severe asthma, can cause hoarseness, sore throat, and bothersome fungal infections. Large doses can cause stunted growth in children.

Particularly troubled allergy sufferers can also try desensitization. The attempt is made to get the body to tolerate it again with initially tiny and later stronger doses of the allergen. However, such a cure is time-consuming: It takes months, sometimes years, and is associated with many visits to the doctor. And even then, the symptoms are usually only alleviated and do not go away completely.

30 percent allergy sufferers

In any case, if the Nanokur was approved, it would have many grateful customers. In Germany, for example, the number of allergy sufferers is steadily increasing. According to the Robert Koch Institute, 30 percent of adults already suffer from an allergy and more than eight percent from bronchial asthma.

Source: Charles Smarr (Northwestern University, Chicago) et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doi: 10.1073 / pnas.1505782113

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