Scientists have discovered how allergic reactions to cats
are triggered, raising hopes of preventative medicine. A University of
Cambridge team has identified how the body's immune system detects cat
allergen, leading to symptoms such as coughing and sneezing.
New treatments to block this pathway raise hopes of
developing medicines to protect sufferers, they say. Allergy UK says the
research is "a big step forward" in understanding how cat allergen
causes allergic reactions.
Researchers led by Dr Clare Bryant of the University of
Cambridge studied proteins found in particles of cat skin, known as cat dander,
which is the most common cause of cat allergy.
They found that cat allergen activates a specific pathway
in the body, once in the presence of a common bacterial toxin.
This triggers a large immune response in allergy sufferers,
causing symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, sneezing and a runny nose.
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