Austrian researchers in a world first have successfully engineered an allergy vaccine using a genetically modified version of the birch pollen allergen.
This new research is reported in the current issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
An allergy is a reaction to a substance that occurs through a change in the immune system caused by the production of antibodies, and is usually experienced by only a small number of people exposed to a substance.
The antibodies belong to the immunoglobulin family of proteins and are designated into five major types; Immunoglobulin A, D, G, M, and E. IgA antibodies are found in saliva and tears and serve to protect the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems. The role of IgD is uncertain. IgG, often called the "blocking antibody," protects people from an allergy attack and is also responsible for protecting newborns during the first months of life. Both IgG and IgM activate the complement system, a group of blood enzymes that also play a role in controlling infection.
An antigen producing an allergic reaction is defined as an allergen. Allergens cause the immune system, specifically white blood cells, to produce IgE antibodies that attach themselves to mast cells or basophils. Mast cells are usually found in the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts and the skin; the basophils are found in the blood. As many as 500,000 of these Y-shaped IgE molecules may collect on a single cell.