Silencing of molecular 'conversation' may help curb severe allergies
June 30, 2008Scientists in Sydney have identified a process, a synergistic encounter between two molecules, that may account for the extreme allergic reactions some people experience. By silencing at least one of these molecules, it may be possible to treat allergies.
The molecules, IL-4 and IL-21, are cytokines or 'chemical messengers' produced by immune cells known as T cells. T cells use cytokines to communicate with B cells, which then make antibodies. When IL-4 and IL-21 are involved in the same 'conversation' with a B cell, laboratory experiments show they stimulate the production of large amounts of the antibody class known as immunoglobulin E, or IgE.
IgE is a very tightly regulated antibody. Under normal circumstances, it is present in only very small quantities and protects us against parasites. Unfortunately, it becomes damaging when the body makes too much.
The findings, made by Danielle Avery and Dr Stuart Tangye from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, are now published online in the prestigious international publication Blood.
Dr Tangye, a B cell biologist, is interested in understanding how the body regulates the production of antibodies, in this case the IgE class. "IgE is such an efficient molecule that too much of it can be dangerous," he said. "High quantities tend to over-activate other immune cells and it's the action of those other cells that can be damaging. High levels of IgE are associated with allergies including asthma, dermatitis and rhinitis."
"It's been known for many years that IL-4 can drive IgE production in humans and mice. Our finding shows that IL-21 also stimulates production of IgE by human B cells, but it does this by using an entirely different pathway."
"As it happens, the combination of IL-4 and IL-21 provokes a very strong IgE response, around ten times greater than either molecule in isolation."
"Through an ongoing collaboration with Canberra's John Curtin School of Medical Research, Canberra Hospital and Westmead Hospital, we were able to test our theory by looking at patients with mutations in the IL-21 pathway. If you can't activate that pathway, you don't get the synergistic effect between the two cytokines."
"We surmise as a result of this study that it should be possible to target the IL-21 molecule with an antibody to block its ability to activate B cells. This may prove an effective treatment in cases where allergic responses are caused by the synergistic effect of IL-4 and IL-21."
Source: Research Australia
-
Engineers build first sub-10-nm carbon nanotube transistor
Feb 01, 2012 |
4.9 / 5 (32) |
30
-
Something old, something new: Evolution and the structural divergence of duplicate genes
Jan 31, 2012 |
4.6 / 5 (7) |
1
-
The hidden nanoworld of ice crystals: Revealing the dynamic behavior of quasi-liquid layers
Jan 30, 2012 |
5 / 5 (4) |
1
-
Stock market network reveals investor clustering
Jan 27, 2012 |
3.9 / 5 (23) |
8
-
Of microchemistry and molecules: Electronic microfluidic device synthesizes biocompatible probes
Jan 26, 2012 |
5 / 5 (2) |
0
-
Is Everyday Technology Killing Us?
Feb 08, 2012
-
Exercise and weight loss
Feb 08, 2012
-
Why do we have head aches? Our brains can't feel anything.
Feb 07, 2012
-
"The end of diseases" by David Agus, interview from Daily Show with Jon Stewart
Feb 04, 2012
-
Oncolytic adenovirus
Feb 04, 2012
-
Nutrition label stuffs and diets
Feb 02, 2012
- More from Physics Forums - Medical Sciences
More news stories
Starve a virus, feed a cure? Findings show how some cells protect themselves against HIV
A protein that protects some of our immune cells from the most common and virulent form of HIV works by starving the virus of the molecular building blocks that it needs to replicate, according to research published online ...
16 minutes ago |
not rated yet |
0
|
Injured boomers beware: Know when to see doctor
(AP) -- It happened to nurse Jane Byron years after an in-line skating fall, business owner Haralee Weintraub while doing "men's" push-ups, and avid cyclist Gene Wilberg while lifting a heavy box.
1 hour ago |
not rated yet |
0
FDA-approved drug rapidly clears amyloid from the brain, reverses Alzheimer's symptoms in mice
Neuroscientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine have made a dramatic breakthrough in their efforts to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease. The researchers' findings, published in the journal Science, show t ...
Medicine & Health / Neuroscience
Feb 09, 2012 |
4.9 / 5 (54) |
21
|
Green tea found to reduce disability in the elderly
(Medical Xpress) -- A lot of research has been done over the past several years looking into the health benefits of green tea. As a result, scientists have found that regular consumption of the beverage leads ...
Teen school drop-outs three times as likely to be on benefits in later life
Teen school drop-outs are almost three times as likely to be on benefits in later life as their peers who complete their schooling, indicates research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
Feb 06, 2012 |
not rated yet |
13
Scientists discover molecular secrets of 2,000-year-old Chinese herbal remedy
For roughly two thousand years, Chinese herbalists have treated Malaria using a root extract, commonly known as Chang Shan, from a type of hydrangea that grows in Tibet and Nepal. More recent studies suggest that halofuginone, ...
New method to examine batteries -- MRI from the inside
There is an ever-increasing need for advanced batteries for portable electronics, such as phones, cameras, and music players, but also to power electric vehicles and to facilitate the distribution and storage of energy derived ...
A mitosis mystery solved: How chromosomes align perfectly in a dividing cell
Although the process of mitotic cell division has been studied intensely for more than 50 years, Whitehead Institute researchers have only now solved the mystery of how cells correctly align their chromosomes during symmetric ...
Researchers find extensive RNA editing in human transcriptome
In a new study published online in Nature Biotechnology, researchers from BGI, the world's largest genomics organization, reported the evidence of extensive RNA editing in a human cell line by analysis of RNA-seq data, demons ...
The proteins ensuring genome protection
Researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland, have discovered the crucial role of two proteins in developing a cell 'anti-enzyme shield'. This protection system, which operates at the level of molecular ...
Iran blocks email, restricts net access: reports
Iran has further restricted access to the Internet and blocked popular email services for the past few days, in a move a top lawmaker said could "cost the regime dearly," media reports said on Sunday.