Researchers inch closer to a cure for allergies

I watched, mildly terrified, as my paramedic instructor stabbed an EpiPen into a sheet of cardboard. The shot of epinephrine, used to stave off the lethal effects of an anaphylaxis reaction, forcefully splattered against the wall a good ten feet away. Talk about intense.

Among our generation, allergies are running rampant and beginning to pose a serious health concern for public settings. As far as we know, there are no known cures or methods of therapy that have performed consistently across patients — which is why progress towards such a treatment is incredibly exciting, regardless of form.

A research group led by Basar Bilgicer, an assistant professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering and an investigator in the University’s Advanced Diagnostics & Therapautics initiative at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, have developed a molecule that actually competes with allergens to prevent allergic reactions from progressing.

This new molecule is described as an inhibitory therapeutic for Type I hypersensitive allergic reactions. There are four different types of hypersensitivities. Type I hypersensitivity refers to the allergic reaction induced by re-exposure to an allergen.

Some of the most common cases of Type I hypersensitivity involved foods, such as peanuts or shellfish like shrimp and crabs. It is estimated that 15 million Americans and eight percent of children are affected by these allergies.

After the contractor switch from Aramark to Bon Appetit, our very own Fresh Food Cafe here on campus no longer serves peanuts, choosing instead to move towards an allergen-free environment. While peanut butter lovers may bemoan the movement, such steps are becoming increasingly necessary in our allergen prone world.

Theoretically, a patient exposed to an allergen can inject a dose of the molecule, known as a heterobivalent inhibitor (HBI) into their bloodstream. This molecule binds to the mast cell receptors that the allergens normally bind to.

Mast cells, also known as mastocytes, are a type of white blood cell that serves to protect the body from harmful invaders such as pathogens. Mastocytes play a key role in the inflammatory response. When the body detects a foreign and harmful substance, orders are sent to flood the area with a variety of defenses including mast cells. These mast cells identify and bind to the harmful substances in order to help remove them from the body.

Allergic reactions occur when the body labels otherwise harmless substances as malignant. The inflammatory response triggered can at times be so severe as to prove lethal for the patient. In some instances, inflammation, or swelling, in the throat can close off the windpipe. Severe reactions such as these are currently treated with epinephrine, however this treatment only buys a patient time. Someone suffering from an anaphylactic attack must seek professional medical attention right away to stave off further affects.

However, Bilgicer’s molecule may someday eliminate the need for such emergency action. This molecule actually prevents the allergic reaction, rather than simply conferring endurance to the reaction, the manner in which epinephrine works.

Bilgicer’s study, published in Nature Chemical Biology demonstrates preliminary and yet promising success in animal models. The group hopes to be able to someday extend their research into the clinical setting.

Bilgicer’s research group is currently improving upon their work by attempting to identify which mast cell receptors are most optimal for staving off allergic reactions. In this manner, they hope to develop a therapeutic that not only blocks allergic reactions but blocks them in the most effective manner possible.