Mugwort allergy: essential first step towards causal therapy
According to experts, around ten percent of the people in this country are from one mugwort allergy affected. Contact with the pollen of this herb causes them to develop typical hay fever complaints triggered, which can lead to a severe impairment of the general condition and quality of life. But now there is hope: researchers have it basis for one vaccine created.
A research team from the Medical University (MedUni) Vienna has discovered central mechanisms of allergy to pollen from the widespread weed mugwort and at the same time created the basis for the development of the world’s first vaccine. The new findings are an essential first step towards causal therapy and prevention. The study was published in the journalJournal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology” released.
Excessive immune response
According to a recent Message the scientists started their preclinical research work at the starting point of the mugwort allergy.
The researchers discovered where and how the antibodies of the immunoglobulin E (IgE) type recognize the main allergen of mugwort (type v 1) and the excess one Immune reaction get going.
At the same time, it has been shown that the protein building blocks of the main mugwort allergen are such that they antibodies IgG (immunoglobulin G) can be blocked.
With these findings, the team led by Maja Zabel and Winfried Pickl, in collaboration with Rudolf Valenta’s team (all from the Center for Pathophysiology, Infectious Diseases and Immunology at MedUni Vienna), created the basis for the development of a vaccine against mugwort allergy.
Disease-causing IgE antibodies
“Our study shows how fragments of the major allergens of mugwort can be used for effective and safe therapy”says study leader Winfried Pickl.
“Our observations of the vaccine’s mode of action show that one of the ends of the main mugwort allergen provides important binding sites for the disease-causing IgE antibodies of allergy sufferers, which are responsible for a novel vaccine can be used”according to the researcher.
Around ten percent of the population is affected
Common mugwort is widespread in the northern hemisphere, where the pollen from its flowers is available to allergy sufferers from July to September complaints to cause asthma.
According to the information, the approximately ten percent of people in the population who are sensitized to mugwort are currently only treatment options available to relieve their symptoms.
The current study is an internationally recognized first step towards causal therapy and prevention. “Next we will use our research results to produce a synthetic vaccine that can be verified in a clinical trial”, explains Rudolf Valenta. (ad)
Author and source information
This text corresponds to the specifications of medical specialist literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been checked by medical professionals.
Sources:
- Medical University of Vienna: Mugwort allergy: MedUni Vienna study creates basis for vaccine, (accessed: June 26, 2022), medical university Vienna
- Maja Zabel, Milena Weber, Bernhard Kratzer, Cordula Köhler, Beatrice Jahn-Schmid, Gabriele Gadermaier, Pia Gattinger, Urška Bidovec-Stojkovič, Peter Korošec, Ursula Smole, Gert Wurzinger, Kuan-Wei Chen, Carmen Bunu Panaitescu, Ludger Klimek, Isabel Pablos, Katarzyna Niespodziana, Alina Neunkirchner, Walter Keller, Rudolf Valenta & Winfried F Pickl: Art v 1 IgE epitopes of patients and humanized mice are conformational; in: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, (published: 2022-06-20), Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology
Important NOTE:
This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. He can not substitute a visit at the doctor.