HOME
• HEALTH
• LIBRARY
• AREAS
• CENTERS
• BOARDS
• CHATS
• JOIN
FREE
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Allergies Future The remarkable advances during the last 10 years in our understanding of the structure and functions of the immune system are paving the way to an exciting and hopeful future for diagnosing, treating, and preventing asthma and allergic diseases. Recent discoveries using modern molecular technology are providing a stimulus for allergic disease research. For example, scientists have developed a genetically altered mouse that produces large amounts of the cytokine interleukin-4 (IL-4). Such mice express an inflammatory response in several tissues that resemble human allergic inflammation, and they also can produce large amounts of IgE antibody. This type of approach will lead to a clearer understanding of which genes are responsible for allergic responses. We are now beginning to understand how cytokines regulate the production of adhesion molecules that bind inflammatory cells to the sites of allergic disease, such as the nose, skin, and lungs. These and other findings suggest that molecules directed against critical targets in the allergic process--such as cytokines and adhesion molecules--may lead to a new means of therapy to better treat asthma and allergic diseases. One of the most exciting areas of research involves unraveling the genetic mysteries of asthma and allergic diseases in conjunction with studying how allergens and other environmental factors induce these diseases. By identifying the genes responsible for them, prenatal diagnostic tests could be developed to identify persons at risk for allergic disease. This early diagnostic knowledge could be used to manipulate the environment or to start early intervention therapy, thereby eliminating or altering the severity of the disease process in these individuals. Thus, the overall quality of life would be greatly improved for these patients. Recent studies in understanding how and why the immune systems of allergic individuals produce IgE antibodies to allergens may lead to innovative vaccine therapy. In preliminary clinical trials, scientists are evaluating an approach that could stop the immune system from responding to allergens. Called peptide-induced anergy, this process could be the "allergy shot" of the future. Finally, researchers are working to better understand the action of the cells and molecules associated with the inflammatory process in asthma and allergic diseases. Knowing more precisely how these cells travel to the site of inflammation in the lungs, nose, gastrointestinal tract, or skin should pave the way for new drugs that block this cascade of events. With the quickening pace of research on asthma and allergic diseases and on the immune system, we may be able to cure--or at the very least prevent--these chronic, often severe, and sometimes life-threatening diseases by the end of the decade.
|
||
Home | Help | Feedback | Privacy Policy | Register | Contact Us | Visitor Survey | Subscribe to HealthMail | Advertising | About MDAdvice.com Copyright
© The Online Medical Network Inc. All rights reserved. All material provided by
MDAdvice.com is intended for informative purposes only and is not a
substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult your
physician with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your
health. Use of this site indicates your agreement with the Terms
of Use. |
|
|
|
|
