New discovery may lead to new class of allergy drugs
Friday, January 30, 2009 - 14:28
in Biology & Nature
If you've ever wondered why some allergic reactions progress quickly and may even become fatal, a new research report published in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology (http://www.jleukbio.org) provides an important part of the answer. In the report, scientists from Queen's University of Belfast, University of Oxford and Trinity College Dublin show for the first time that eotaxin, a chemical that helps immune cells locate the site of infection, blocks basic 'fighter' cells from transforming into 'seeker' dendritic cells, resulting in a heightened allergic response...