JMCx4
Censorship is the Sincerest Form of Flattery
From: ScienceNews.org > News > Health & Medicine
Newfound immune cells are responsible for long-lasting allergies
Knowing the cells’ identities might lead to new allergy treatments or cures
By Tina Hesman Saey
FEBRUARY 15, 2024 AT 7:00 AM
Allergy sufferers may one day be able to erase the source of their congestion, itchy skin and swollen lips and throat thanks to two studies that have uncovered elusive immune cells that maintain allergies over the long haul, often for a lifetime.
A specialized type of immune cell called type 2 memory B cells or MBC2s hold the memory of proteins that cause allergies, two independent groups of researchers report February 7 in Science Translational Medicine. Memory B cells are important for long-lasting protection against infectious diseases, but this subset is primed to make the type of antibodies that lead to allergies.
Unmasking the cells’ identity might lead to new ways to diagnose, treat or even cure allergies. ...
Recently, researchers found that cells that help the immune system remember vaccinations and natural infections may be involved. These memory B cells produce a different class of antibodies known as IgG, which ward off viral and bacterial infections and neutralize toxins. But no one had identified exactly which of those cells were recalling allergens or how they switched to making the IgE antibodies responsible for allergies. ...
Read more at: Newfound immune cells are responsible for long-lasting allergies | Science News
