Researchers at the National University of Australia (ANU) have discovered a protein that could fight asthma and anaphylaxis, the Xinhua news agency reported on Friday, quoted by Agerpres.
In a study published in Cell on Thursday, the team of researchers revealed that the discovery could provide the solution to prevent the human body from developing allergies, autoimmune diseases and asthma.
The protein, called neuritin, causes a process in the immune system that triggers a natural defense mechanism against allergic reactions.
After five years of studying the immune system, the team of scientists found that neuritin prevents the body from producing excess immunoglobulin E (IgE), an antibody that causes allergic reactions by releasing histamines.
“We found that neuritin prevents excessive IgE formation, which is usually associated with some common forms of food allergy and intolerance,” study co-author Carola Vinuesa said on Thursday.
“We have shown that it is one of the mechanisms of our immune system to prevent autoimmunity and allergies, and now we have proof, we can continue to use this for treatment,” said the researcher.
Scientists are optimistic that these findings may underlie new treatments for allergies, asthma and autoimmune diseases, many of which are caused or exacerbated by antibodies.
“It could be more than just a new drug; it could be a completely new approach to treating allergies and autoimmune diseases, ”said Vinuesa.
“If this approach proves successful, there would be no need to deplete important immune cells or dampen the entire immune system; Instead, all we have to do is use the proteins that our own body uses to ensure immune tolerance, ”she explained.
“It’s an incredible discovery. We noticed that in the absence of neuritin there is an increased susceptibility to death due to anaphylaxis, which emphasizes its role in preventing life-threatening allergies, “said Paula Gonzalez Figueroa, co-author of the study, quoted on the ANU website .
“Both allergies and autoimmune diseases are on the rise and we hope this will give us a new way to fight them,” Carola Vinuesa said.
Photo source: Pixabay
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