New treatment approach against allergies

The body's own defense mechanism against allergies is decrypted

06/09/2011

Allergies such as hay fever, animal hair or house dust allergies are relatively widespread in modern industrialized countries. However, although all people regularly come into contact with potential allergens, only ten percent of them show corresponding allergic reactions, write Prof. Kerstin Steinbrink of the University of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz and Prof. Marcus Maurer of the Allergy Center of the Berlin Charité in the current issue of the trade journal „Journal of Clinical Investigation“.

The researchers from the University Medical Center Mainz and the Berlin Charité have now found in their study that special so-called regulatory T cells exert a significant influence on the allergic reactions. According to the scientists, these regulatory T cells should also be responsible for the fact that regular contact with small amounts of allergenic substances can permanently lead to a type of immunization against the corresponding allergens. For the first time, the scientists were able to decipher the mechanism that underlies this so-called low-zone-tolerance (LZT).

Killer Dendritic cells inhibit allergic reactions
As part of their studies on mice, the scientists of the Berlin Charité and the University Medical Center Mainzer have proven that so-called killerdendritische cells contribute to the prevention of allergic reactions. According to the scientists, the cellular mechanism responsible for the low-zone tolerance is also due to the release of certain signal substances by the killerdendritic cells. Once the killerdendritic cells come in contact with allergens, they release a so-called tumor necrosis factor, which causes programmed cell death in the cells responsible for the allergic reaction, the researchers explain in their recent article. In this way, the killerdendritic cells, also called health police, regulate the allergic reactions of the organism according to the experts. Thus, first an endogenous mechanism has been elucidated that can prevent the development of allergies, said Prof. Maurer and colleagues. On the basis of the discovered mechanism, the researchers hope to be able to derive possibilities for allergy prevention in the future.

According to the scientists, the influence of regulatory T cells is also reflected in the ability of low-zone tolerance, which differs from person to person. The killerdendritic cells are probably the reason why some people react physically to certain allergens and others do not show an allergic reaction, said researchers from Berlin and Mainz. Typically, regulatory T cells help to suppress the activation of the immune system and thus to ensure the self-tolerance of the immune system. In this way they also prevent the development of autoimmune diseases. As the current study results make clear, the cells are apparently also able to prevent the allergic reactions to allergens.

Use the body's own mechanism to prevent allergies
According to the researchers, all substances that are recognized by the organism as foreign and lead to an excessive defense of the immune system come into question as allergens. Since all humans come into contact with appropriate potential allergens, are „the results of the study are in principle relevant to everyone,“ explained Prof. Marcus Maurer. Especially people, „Those who have more contact with allergenic substances run the risk of one day developing an allergy.“ The experts here call particularly vulnerable employees in hairdressing salons, the jewelery and fashion industries as well as the hospital staff. The scientists around Prof. Maurer now hope for a therapeutic implementation of their results. „In our work, we have identified the mechanism underlying the prevention of allergy,“ Now it is important to use this in the future to avoid allergies, emphasized the Berlin and Mainz researchers. (Fp)

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Picture: Thomas Max Müller