{"id":649,"date":"2019-01-24T10:15:14","date_gmt":"2019-01-24T10:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/horizon.peachpuff-wolverine-566518.hostingersite.com\/?p=649"},"modified":"2019-01-24T10:15:14","modified_gmt":"2019-01-24T10:15:14","slug":"could-hacking-the-immune-system-cure-allergies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/649\/could-hacking-the-immune-system-cure-allergies\/","title":{"rendered":"Could hacking the immune system cure allergies?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Scientists are redesigning natural allergens to help the immune system defend against them, in a move that could eliminate the side effects and lifelong medication of treating allergies – the most common chronic condition in Europe.<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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More than 150 million Europeans suffer from allergies and this number is on the rise due to triggers such as growing pollution. By 2025, one in every two people in the EU could be affected by allergies, according to the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.<\/p>\n

Allergies are most commonly treated by taking lifelong medication, such as antihistamines, that relieve symptoms like red eyes and a runny nose. However, about 5-10% of sufferers use another type of treatment called immunotherapy, where the immune system is desensitised to specific allergens, which can eventually cure allergies.<\/p>\n

The process can be quite cumbersome though. Although drops or tablets can sometimes be administered under the tongue, frequent visits to the doctor for shots are more typical. Patients start with a low dose of the allergen which is gradually increased over several years.<\/p>\n

\u2018It requires quite a lot from that patient, so that\u2019s probably one of the reasons that it isn\u2019t the most popular treatment,\u2019 said\u00a0Dr Ronald van Ree<\/a>\u00a0from Amsterdam University Medical Center in the Netherlands. \u2018If you do injection immunotherapy you have to do it for at least three years.\u2019<\/p>\n

Furthermore, some patients can have side effects such as skin reactions or may not choose the treatment since the cost isn\u2019t covered by public healthcare in all countries.<\/p>\n

Dr van Ree and his colleagues aim to make immunotherapy more effective and faster, while reducing the secondary effects that can occur during treatment.<\/p>\n

Birch pollen<\/strong><\/p>\n

They are doing this through a project called\u00a0BM4SIT<\/a>\u00a0where they are focussing on birch pollen allergy,\u00a0triggered by a specific pollen protein allergen. In lab experiments and animal tests they have already lowered the occurrence of side effects.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u2018We have modified this molecule slightly in such a way that it doesn’t give the side effects anymore as easily as the original molecule,\u2019 said Dr van Ree.<\/p>\n

The team is now testing the tweaked allergen in patients in Denmark.<\/p>\n

They are also looking at adding vitamin D3 to the treatment, which has been shown to have a protective effect against allergies.<\/p>\n

\u2018We hope that the addition of vitamin D3 will change the speed by which the effect is reached so that it will be reached quicker and that we will need less injections,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

Now, the researchers are conducting a study with patients in Amsterdam to compare the effect of an existing birch pollen treatment when administered alone and when vitamin D3 is injected alongside it. If the trials are successful, they\u2019d like to bring together the vitamin and altered birch pollen molecule to test their combined effect.<\/p>\n

While the team began with birch pollen because it involves a single protein, they hope the principle can be extended to treat other allergies. Cat allergies, for example, also involve one molecule. For grass pollen and house dust mite allergies, where several molecules are responsible, each one would have to be redesigned.<\/p>\n

Asthma<\/strong><\/p>\n

The approach could have big payoffs. If the current study goes well, Dr van Ree plans to next focus on treating house dust mite allergy \u2013 the most common allergy globally. This allergy is more severe than other forms since it affects the lungs, rather than the eyes, nose or skin and can also trigger allergic asthma.<\/p>\n

Henk Vi\u00ebtor, the CEO of biotech company\u00a0DC4U Technologies<\/a>\u00a0in Amsterdam, said that if scientists could find a way to use immunotherapy to treat asthma it would bring \u2018something completely new to the table\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018Immunotherapy is almost never effective for asthmatic symptoms,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

To that end, Vi\u00ebtor and his team have developed a technique that could make immunotherapy more effective for asthma.<\/p>\n

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\u2018Immunotherapy is almost never effective for asthmatic symptoms.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2013 Henk Vi\u00ebtor, CEO, DC4U Technologies<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n

Existing immunotherapy uses the raw extract of an allergen dissolved in liquid which is then injected into a patient. But Vi\u00ebtor and his team have been experimenting in the lab by adding sugars to specific parts of allergens used in the treatment which bind to receptors on immune system cells.<\/p>\n

The allergen-sugar combination re-educates the immune system so that an allergen no longer induces an allergic reaction. \u2018We think our technology can really provide a cure for patients with allergies,\u2019 Vi\u00ebtor said.<\/p>\n

He believes the innovation should improve immunotherapy for a wide range of allergies, including house dust mite and peanut, and dramatically decrease the duration of the treatment from about three to five years to three to five months.<\/p>\n

\u2018We think that with only two or three shots, just like vaccines for infectious diseases, we can really shorten the experience and make it very effective,\u2019 said Vi\u00ebtor.<\/p>\n

The team explored how to bring their innovation to the market through partnerships with pharmaceutical companies to co-develop new treatments as part of the\u00a0GAIT project<\/a>.<\/p>\n

They are currently negotiating with several companies that have existing immunotherapy products and have already struck a deal with one company whose product they have modified using their method. \u2018We are already trying to get more evidence that our technology works,\u2019 said Vi\u00ebtor.<\/p>\n

He and his colleagues are currently following up with lab experiments on cells and in animals to develop a proof of concept. If they are successful, they will continue with clinical trials.<\/p>\n

\u2018The incidence of allergies is rapidly increasing so I think that innovation in this field is urgently needed to prevent an epidemic in allergies and asthma,\u2019 said Vi\u00ebtor.<\/p>\n

The research in this article was funded by the EU. If you liked this article, please consider sharing it on social media.<\/em><\/p>\n

Originally published on Horizon<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Scientists are redesigning natural allergens to help the immune system defend against them, in a move that could eliminate the side effects and lifelong medication of treating allergies – the most common chronic condition in Europe. More than 150 million Europeans suffer from allergies and this number is on the rise due to triggers such … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":318,"featured_media":651,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[71,37,25,79,24],"class_list":["post-649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-genetics","tag-health","tag-innovation","tag-research","tag-science"],"yoast_head":"\nCould hacking the immune system cure allergies? - Horizon Magazine Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/649\/could-hacking-the-immune-system-cure-allergies\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Could hacking the immune system cure allergies?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Scientists are redesigning natural allergens to help the immune system defend against them, in a move that could eliminate the side effects and lifelong medication of treating allergies – the most common chronic condition in Europe. 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The pursuit, while seemingly unusual, had a serious aim: to determine\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/05\/9.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/05\/9.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/05\/9.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/05\/9.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/05\/9.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2024\/05\/9.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":999,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/999\/bacteria-passed-from-mother-to-baby-may-play-a-role-in-later-health\/","url_meta":{"origin":649,"position":1},"title":"Bacteria passed from mother to baby may play a role in later health","author":"Horizon Magazine","date":"October 1, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"by Vittoria d'Alessio The bacteria and viruses a baby inherit from its mother play a crucial role in determining the child\u2019s health in later life, according to research that could lead to new interventions to tackle conditions like obesity, allergies and colic. 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Every year, about 300,000 people worldwide receive a new heart valve. Whenever possible, doctors use valves made of tissue from cows or pigs,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Genetically engineered mutations in cows could pave the way for transplant patients to receive whole animal organs in the future. Image credit - Pexels\/Kat Jayne, licensed under Pexels license","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/12\/cows.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/12\/cows.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/12\/cows.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/12\/cows.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/12\/cows.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/12\/cows.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":624,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/624\/understanding-immune-system-switches-will-spark-new-drugs\/","url_meta":{"origin":649,"position":3},"title":"Understanding immune system switches will spark new drugs","author":"Anthony King","date":"January 9, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Identifying the chemical switches that turn different parts of our immune system on and off is opening up new avenues for treating diseases such as Parkinson\u2019s, Alzheimer\u2019s, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis \u2013 and potential new uses for discarded drugs, according to Professor Luke O\u2019Neill, an immunologist at Trinity College Dublin,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Image credit - magnaram, licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/01\/Macrophage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/01\/Macrophage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/01\/Macrophage.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/01\/Macrophage.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/01\/Macrophage.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":784,"url":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/784\/danish-dogs-to-receive-virus-inspired-cancer-vaccine-treatment\/","url_meta":{"origin":649,"position":4},"title":"Danish dogs to receive virus-inspired cancer vaccine treatment","author":"Aisling Irwin","date":"April 23, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Fifteen Danish dogs with advanced cancer are to receive a new type of therapeutic vaccine which, it is hoped, will rid them of the disease and pave the way for human testing. Unlike preventative vaccines, therapeutic vaccines are not used to prevent someone from getting a disease but rather to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Researchers are testing the therapeutic vaccine on dogs with the hope that trials could progress to humans. 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A second one is hot on its heels. The two \u2013 one made by Pfizer\/BioNTech and the other by Moderna \u2013 mark the first time this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Health"","block_context":{"text":"Health","link":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/category\/health\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/ChildVaccine.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/ChildVaccine.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/ChildVaccine.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/ChildVaccine.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/12\/ChildVaccine.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/649","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/318"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=649"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/649\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=649"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=649"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scienceblog.com\/horizon\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=649"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}