No More Allergies?

Today, more than 150 million Europeans suffer from chronic allergic diseases. Up to 20% of patients with allergies live with a severe debilating form of their condition, and struggle daily with the fear of a possible asthma attack or even death from an allergic reaction. Unfortunately, the exact causes of such diseases are not known yet, which makes it extremely difficult for scientists to develop a cure.

An allergy can be defined as a misguided reaction to foreign substances, usually harmless, by the immune system. These substances are called allergens and examples are pollen, dust mites, food, medicines, etc.

As I am allergic to many things, I know how irritating and painful an allergic reaction can be. Besides coughing and sneezing, most people, including myself, also suffer from swollen itchy eyes and allergic eczema. Unfortunately, up until today, there are only medicines available that mitigate the pain.

However, there might be a remedy in the future since scientists at VIB-UGent have managed to unravel the functioning of what is thought to be the ‘master protein’ that drives a range of widespread allergic diseases, such as asthma and eczema. Professor Savvides explained that the protein TSLP, causes inflammation of the white blood cells, which eventually can lead to an allergic disease. Since they now know how TSLP functions in the body, Professor Beyaert was able to develop a molecule that inhibits the functioning of TSLP and thus it  functions as an allergy inhibitor.

Now they are still working on the development of the medicine, but they hope to sell the medicine within 10 years. One thing is sure, if this medicine works, millions of patients will be grateful to Professor Savvides and Professor Beyaert.