allergies tagged posts

It can be a relief to scratch the occasional itch, but when itch gets out of control, it can become a serious health problem. How does the body know when to stop?

Scientists at UC San Francisco are getting close to an answer. In a breakthrough that could transform how doctors treat conditions from eczema to allergies, they have discovered a feedback loop centered on a single immune protein called IL-31 that both causes the urge to itch and dials back nearby inflammation.

The findings, published on October 13th in Science Immunology, lay the groundwork for a new generation of drugs that interact more intelligently with the body’s innate ability to self-regulate.

Previous approaches suggested that IL-31 signals itch and promotes skin inflammation...

A key step in the immune system’s response to allergens has been uncovered by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). They have shown that a neuropeptide called Substance P is released by certain neurons in the skin when they detect allergens, and that this substance is essential in the development of allergen-induced immune responses. This research could lead to the development of new and better methods to treat and prevent allergies.

How allergens are detected by the immune system had not been known...

A Rutgers-led team may have found the key to treating inflammatory diseases like asthma, allergies, chronic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

In a study published in the journal Nature Immunology, researchers discovered that neuromedin B (NMB), a protein produced by the nervous system, was responsible for preventing overactive immune responses and damaging inflammation. An immune response refers to the body’s ability to recognize and defend itself against harmful substances. Although beneficial to help clear infections, an immune response can also promote damaging inflammation if not properly restricted...

Tom1 Modulates Binding of Tollip to Phosphatidylinositol 3-Phosphate via a Coupled Folding and Binding Mechanism •Tollip TBD is a disordered domain that partially folds when bound to Tom1 GAT •Tom1 GAT also directly binds to the Tollip C2 domain •Binding of Tom1 to Tollip inhibits binding of Tollip to PtdIns(3)P •Tollip TBD plays a major role in Tom1’s inhibitory function

It has important implications for Rx of allergies, heart disease, cancer types. The discovery explains how 2 particular proteins, Tollip and Tom1, work together to contribute to the turnover of cell-surface receptor proteins that trigger inflammation...