Allergy News and Research

RSS

The term allergy encompasses a wide range of conditions; it is not a disease in itself. In 1906 Clemens von Pirquet was the first to describe allergies as a changed or altered reaction of the immune system in response to exposure to foreign proteins. These days the term allergy – medically termed hypersensitivity, signifies an exaggerated reaction to foreign substances.

FDA approves FluLaval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved FluLaval, an influenza vaccine to immunize people 18 years of age and older against the disease caused by strains of influenza virus judged likely to cause seasonal flu in the Northern Hemisphere in 2006-2007.

5 Oct 2006

Six shot course gives two year protection from hay fever

An experimental vaccine is promising to prevent hay fever symptoms for at least two years, and this is after just six injections.

5 Oct 2006

New clues about virulence of 1918 influenza virus

The first comprehensive analysis of an animal's immune response to the 1918 influenza virus provides new insights into the killer flu, report federally supported scientists in an article appearing online in the journal Nature.

28 Sep 2006

M. D. Anderson targets asthma and allergic diseases

A new research alliance focuses on a molecular master switch suspected of igniting the inflammatory immune response that drives asthma and other allergic diseases.

20 Sep 2006

Live H5N1 avian flu vaccines show promise

When tested in mice and ferrets, experimental vaccines based on live, weakened versions of different strains of the H5N1 avian influenza virus were well-tolerated and protected the animals from a deadly infection with naturally occurring H5N1 flu viruses.

13 Sep 2006

"Allergy cells" can aggravate cancer and psoriasis

The body's mast cells are mainly associated with allergic reaction in the way they release histamine and other inflammatory substances.

13 Sep 2006

Live H5N1 avian flu virus vaccines show protection in animal studies

12 Sep 2006

NIH launches "Knockout Mouse Project"

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) today awarded a set of cooperative agreements, totaling up to $52 million over five years, to launch the Knockout Mouse Project.

7 Sep 2006

Chemical concerns over skincare

Did you know that the average woman uses 12 toiletries every day and applies more than 175 chemical compounds to her body in the process?

5 Sep 2006

Emergent BioSolutions awarded $3.8 million to develop anthrax immune globulin therapeutic

Emergent BioSolutions has announced that it has been awarded two grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) totaling $3.8 million to support the development of the company's anthrax immune globulin (AIG) therapeutic product.

1 Sep 2006

Rates of eczema and hay fever falling

After having risen year on year in recent decades, the rates of eczema and hay fever seem to have stabilised, and may even be falling, suggests research published ahead of print in Thorax.

30 Aug 2006

Schering-Plough to pay $435M and plead guilty to conspiracy

Schering-Plough on Tuesday agreed to pay $435 million and plead guilty to criminal conspiracy charges to settle a federal investigation into the company's marketing practices and Medicaid charges, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports (AP/Houston Chronicle, 8/30).

30 Aug 2006

FluChip can spot bird flu in under 12 hours

Scientists in the United States have developed a new technology that reduces the time it takes to achieve a detailed diagnosis of avian flu, from one week or more down to less than 12 hours.

30 Aug 2006

New microchip enables quick diagnosis of flu strains

Scientists from the University of Colorado at Boulder and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed a microchip-based test that may allow more labs to diagnose influenza infections and learn more about the viruses causing illness.

30 Aug 2006

Chinese scientists come up with safe and effective bird flu vaccine

According to official reports a bird flu vaccine for humans developed by Chinese researchers has proven to be both safe and effective.

29 Aug 2006

More children around the world now have allergies and asthma

Researchers in Auckland, New Zealand say that the number of children with allergies and asthma is increasing around the world and especially among the youngest.

28 Aug 2006

Abolish Asthma!

Asthma is unlikely to be a single disease, so we should abolish the term altogether, states an Editorial in this week's issue of The Lancet.

24 Aug 2006

Wheezy kids more prone to asthma

Children who become sensitive to allergens, such as cat hair, and suffer from wheezing in their first three years of life are prone to developing asthma, according to an Article in this week's issue of The Lancet.

24 Aug 2006

Lyme disease vaccine could be on the cards

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere, and the most common tick-borne illness in the United States and Europe.

24 Aug 2006

Significant increases in the number of HIV-positive people with access to antiretroviral drugs

Achieving universal access to HIV/AIDS treatment was a major focus Wednesday at the XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto, and World Health Organization HIV/AIDS Director Kevin De Cock reported significant increases in the number of HIV-positive people with access to antiretroviral drugs.

17 Aug 2006