Study with stable dust substances against allergies

Avoid allergies with substances from stable dust

08/03/2014

It has long been known that children who grow up on farms are less likely to suffer from allergies. Now physicians are trying to find out how substances from the stable dust could be used in future for allergy prevention.

Like a kind of vaccine
Medical experts from several countries advised until yesterday, the seventh March in Mainz, how substances from stable dust could be used in future for allergy prevention. It has been known for some time that children who grow up on farms are less likely to suffer from allergies. Professor Joachim Saloga of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz said on the sidelines of the 26th Mainz Allergy Workshop: "Research is currently underway on how to shape the immune system of young children so that fewer allergies are created." He added: " That would be like a kind of vaccination. But that is not yet on the market, that's just basic considerations. "

Hay fever risk of farm children only half the size
As early as 2011, scientists from the Ruhr University Bochum had discovered in the dust a sugar molecule that "possibly protects against allergies and allergic asthma". According to the researchers, the so-called arabinogalactan in feed crops "occurs in large quantities and prevents the immune system from excessive defensive reactions when it is inhaled in high concentration during the first year of life". The scientists now want to investigate whether arabinogalactan can be used for prophylaxis or therapy. The Marburg allergist Harald Renz and his team discovered more than ten years ago, why farm children are much less likely to develop allergies. Their risk of asthma or hay fever is only half that of children growing up in urban settings. The scientists came to the conclusion that this is due to the microbes, which occur in large numbers on farms. These would turn off the genes that trigger allergic reactions.

Tailor therapies more closely to the patient
The physicians also discussed at the workshop in Mainz how inflammatory symptoms can be combated. For example, there are new findings on how the inflammatory reaction works in allergic diseases. "This in turn allows us to develop new targets for therapies to inhibit these processes," says Saloga. Even though it has been known for some time which cells play a role in this, there are "always new insights into which substances they produce and which receptors each of them has," says the physician from Mainz. At the same time, it is about tailoring therapies even more to the patient. "We used to talk about house dust allergy," Saloga said, "but there were a lot of different allergens in the house dust. The house dust mite, for example, but also cockroach allergens. "It helps for a therapy, when it is clarified, which individual molecules triggered the allergic reactions.

One third of all adults have ever had an allergy
Almost one third of adults in Germany have suffered from an allergy once in their lives. This was the conclusion of a study by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) last year. Against the background that allergies have developed into a "widespread disease", the RKI conducted a study on the "incidence of allergic diseases in Germany". At least 20 percent had suffered at least one allergy at the time of the announcement. Those affected have allergies to pollen, mites, pet dander, insect venom or foods such as nuts or eggs and dairy products, but the majority of allergy sufferers (14.8 percent) are affected by hay fever. In addition, it was found that women were generally affected more frequently than men and younger people more often than older people. An itchy rash and pustules, watery eyes or a runny nose and shortness of breath are just a few symptoms that may indicate an allergy. Although in the worst case it can even lead to a so-called anaphylactic shock, which can lead to cardiovascular shock and organ failure, in most people allergies occur much less pronounced. By not only affecting social life but also diminishing performance and work ability, allergies can severely curtail the overall quality of life. (Ad)

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