An “incredible discovery” by Australian researchers could result in a new medicinal treatment for allergic conditions including asthma, eczema and anaphylaxis.
The researchers from Australian National University (ANU) have uncovered how a naturally-occurring protein prevents autoimmune disease and allergies.
The protein, neuritin, can now be viewed as an “attractive therapeutic target”, according to the study published in the peer-reviewed Cell journal on Thursday.
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The existence of the protein has long been known by researchers.
But the ANU scientists have now determined that neuritin “can act directly” to suppress excessive Immunoglobulin E production and “autoantibody development against tissue-specific antigens”.
‘Key repressor’
Immunoglobulin E is an antibody produced when the immune system overreacts to allergens like pollen, dust or peanut butter.
When too much of it is produced, it leads to the release of histamine that causes allergic reactions.
The study also found neuritin is a “key repressor of antibodies against multiple self-antigens.”
“It is an incredible discovery,” study co-author Paula Gonzalez-Figueroa said.
“We saw that in the absence of neuritin there is increased susceptibility to death from anaphylaxis, highlighting its role in the prevention of life-threatening allergies.”
The breakthrough came after five years of research.
Gonzalez-Figueroa now hopes the discovery can form the basis of new treatments.
“This could be more than a new drug,” she said.
“It could be a completely new approach to treat allergies and autoimmune diseases.
“If this approach was successful, we would not need to deplete important immune cells nor dampen the entire immune system.
“Instead, we would only need to use the proteins our own body uses to ensure immune tolerance.
“Allergies and autoimmune diseases are both on the rise and we hope this will give us a new way to tackle them.”