Tackling causes of allergies could stop the use of expensive drugs
12 May 2006
Researchers looking into allergic reactions will focus on their root cause: the rogue antibodies which prompt symptoms like sneezing, burning eyes, rashes, and wheezing. The new research will be funded by a £2.3M award from the Medical Research Council.
Current allergy treatments work by dampening the body’s inflammatory response. This research will take a new approach by looking at the possibility of stopping production of these rogue antibodies altogether. It is hoped this will lead to cheaper and more widely applicable treatment for a range of sufferers.
Professor Sutton said: “We know that high levels of this rogue antibody, immunoglobin E (IgE), are present in individuals susceptible to allergies. So by studying the basic biology of IgE antibodies, we hope to discover why the body's antibody-producing cells switch from making the normal, protective antibodies, to IgE antibodies causing allergy and asthma. It may then be possible to find ways to switch off their production altogether. This therapy could be applied to a wide range of allergic diseases including hay fever, eczema, and asthma.”
The aim of this research is to treat people more cost effectively and with fewer side effects than present, a considerable concern in the current climate of rising drug costs.
The MRC grant was awarded to Professor Brian Sutton of King's College London, a member of the recently established MRC & Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma. The Centre, with support from Asthma UK, brings together researchers at King's and Imperial College London, who are dedicated to developing therapies for allergy and asthma.
Assistant director of research at Asthma UK, Jenny Versnel said: "Allergies trigger asthma attacks for the majority of the 5.2 million people with asthma in the UK. Understanding the role of IgE in such allergic responses is key to understanding allergic asthma. Asthma UK is delighted that Professor Sutton has been awarded substantial funding for an IgE focussed research programme, as any resulting new treatments will have the potential to improve the lives of many people."
To organise an interview with Professor Sutton or for any further details, please call the MRC press office on 0207 637 6011.
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