14 DAY TRIAL // In the near future, cat allergies will be all but gone from the general population. Researchers are already reporting positive, encouraging results in preliminary tests, which show that the substance they are working with is harmless when injected to humans.
According to a recent paper describing the advancement, the chemical is still some distance away from being put into mainstream use. But at least cat lovers who are sick and tired of having their noses clogged all the time can take heart in the knowledge that a solution is well on its way.
In a study published in the March 31 issue of the medical Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, experts report that shots featuring the new vaccine were harmless when injected to humans, in the sense that they did not cause any unwanted reactions of their own.
At the same time, while the chemical still does not provide a complete cure, it proved to be capable of at least reducing the frequency and intensity of allergic reactions many experience when they are around their favorite cat pets.
Statistically speaking, about 10 percent of people worldwide are allergic to the fur of cats. For these individuals, the only way to avoid an allergic reaction is to stay as far away from felines as possible.
Naturally, this does not sit well with cat owners, who want to be able to enjoy their animals in peace. For them, the alternative option is to take multiple injections, with chemicals featuring cat allergens.
When the immune system is exposed to these substances for prolonged periods of time, it eventually begins to produce some sort of tolerance, and the intensity of allergic reactions decreases.
The downside to choosing this approach is that it can take years for the human body to adapt, explains Mark Larche, who is an immunologist ant the McMaster University. He is also a researcher with the team developing the new cure, LiveScience reports.
The main research route the team took involves isolating the protein that is widely believed to be responsible for most allergic reactions people have to cats. The next step is to identify the specific site on human immune system cells where this protein binds to cause a response.
As these cell segments – called peptides – were identified, they were put together in a new substance, which forms the basis for the new vaccine. According to the scientists, after exposure to this cocktail of seven peptides, human immune cells will learn to recognize them as harmless.