Gene therapy could wipe immune memory and "turn off" severe allergies
Scientists may be one step closer to discovering a way to genetically
"turn off" allergic responses with a single injection. A team of
researchers have developed a new process
that has successfully silenced a severe allergic response in mice, using
blood stem cells engineered with a gene that can target specific immune
cells.
The big challenge previous allergy researchers faced was that immune cells, known as T-cells, tended to develop a form of "memory" so that once someone developed an immune response to an allergen, it would easily recur upon future contact. The key was finding a way to erase that "memory" response to the protein in the allergen causing the immune reaction.
"We take blood stem cells, insert a gene which regulates the allergen protein and we put that into the recipient," says the researcher, explaining the new process developed by his team. "Those engineered cells produce new blood cells that express the protein and target specific immune cells, 'turning off' the allergic response."
The team's initial clinical investigations looked at an experimental asthma allergen, with the new process found to successfully terminate established allergic responses in sensitized laboratory mice. While the initial research has focused on a very specific asthma allergen, Professor believes the process could be applied to many other severe allergic responses, such as peanuts, bee venom and shell fish.
The long-term goal of the research would be to develop a therapy that could cure specific allergies with a single injection, much like a vaccine.
"We haven't quite got it to the point where it's as simple as getting a flu jab," says Professor, "so we are working on making it simpler and safer so it could be used across a wide cross-section of affected individuals."
The team is realistic about the time it will take before this discovery results in practical benefits for allergy sufferers, with at least five years more laboratory work needed before even human trials can be conducted. But this new discovery could mean that, within 10 or 15 years, asthma and other lethal allergic responses might be eliminated with a single, one-time treatment.
The findings were recent published in a journal .
this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.
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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes
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The big challenge previous allergy researchers faced was that immune cells, known as T-cells, tended to develop a form of "memory" so that once someone developed an immune response to an allergen, it would easily recur upon future contact. The key was finding a way to erase that "memory" response to the protein in the allergen causing the immune reaction.
"We take blood stem cells, insert a gene which regulates the allergen protein and we put that into the recipient," says the researcher, explaining the new process developed by his team. "Those engineered cells produce new blood cells that express the protein and target specific immune cells, 'turning off' the allergic response."
The team's initial clinical investigations looked at an experimental asthma allergen, with the new process found to successfully terminate established allergic responses in sensitized laboratory mice. While the initial research has focused on a very specific asthma allergen, Professor believes the process could be applied to many other severe allergic responses, such as peanuts, bee venom and shell fish.
The long-term goal of the research would be to develop a therapy that could cure specific allergies with a single injection, much like a vaccine.
"We haven't quite got it to the point where it's as simple as getting a flu jab," says Professor, "so we are working on making it simpler and safer so it could be used across a wide cross-section of affected individuals."
The team is realistic about the time it will take before this discovery results in practical benefits for allergy sufferers, with at least five years more laboratory work needed before even human trials can be conducted. But this new discovery could mean that, within 10 or 15 years, asthma and other lethal allergic responses might be eliminated with a single, one-time treatment.
The findings were recent published in a journal .
this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement
Labels: asthma allergen, blood stem cells, gene therapy, immune cells, immune memory, injections, severe allergies, specific, T-cells, targets, wipe
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