A Possible Solution to Cat Allergies?
Many of us struggle with an allergy, some so severe we can’t even go about our day to day lives without facing the effects. Especially with pets, a severe allergy can really be an obstacle as being in the same house, or even just simply being around someone who may have remnants of fur on their clothing can trigger a severe allergic effect. Although oftentimes the effects may be minimal, this has a greater effect on people's day to day lives than one may expect. But what if there was a way to solve this problem?
Scientists have recently been working on a new and improved allergy shot, which would include antibodies. Although there has already been a shot for allergies that has been successful in the past, this is typically one that needs to be received monthly or even weekly for several years to eventually build up a tolerance. But with this new shot including antibodies, this routine shot may become much simpler. Studies have found that this new allergy shot lasts for up to a year after ceasing treatment, which is a gradual improvement from before. A monoclonal antibody, known as tezepelumab, which is also used for an asthma treatment, was used in this experiment to try and avoid these immune cells from triggering an allergic reaction. The antibodies that trigger this response, known as IgE, reduced significantly and progressively decreased after treatment was received, which is a significant improvement from the previous treatment as this antibody began to increase once again after treatment had stopped.
Although the development of this treatment still has a ways to go, these results are very promising for the future of those who struggle daily with allergies. These antibodies are currently very pricy, and it is still unknown whether these could be a solution to other allergies aside from cats. Despite this, it is still a step in the right direction.
Caitlin Hooper (8)
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cat-allergies-asthma-therapy-allergy-shots
Hi Caitlin! I found your blog post very interesting. I also own a cat but she is hypoallergenic so she produces less allergens then usual and makes it easier for people who are allergic to be around her. Being allergic can have several obstacles and I think it is important to find ways to remove those obstacles. Are there any other treatments being looked at currently to remove allergies to pets?
ReplyDeleteHi Caitlin! This was really interesting to read. I know a lot of people with allergies that struggle daily and I think that it is great that there is a possible long-term treatment. Do you think that treatment would be less accessible for people since it is so pricey? And would it be able to treat more than just pet allergies in the future?
ReplyDeleteAlissa N
Hi Alissa! I definitely think this treatment will be less accessible at first considering its cost and its minimal availability, but the goal for the future is to make this more accessible and affordable for those who struggle with allergies. I believe scientists will use the information from this shot and try to use it to find a cure to other allergies as well
DeleteHi Caitlin! I enjoyed this reading because both my mom and brother have bad allergies to cats. They also have asthma, so they would benefit from this kind of treatment. How far away is this treatment from reaching the market? Do you think insurance companies would cover this kind of treatment option?
ReplyDelete(Samantha Bunner)
DeleteHi Caitlin, your blog was very interesting to read. I am allergic to cats and rabbits as well as some fruits and vegetables. Some of my allergies have developed later on in my life, and I seem to develop a new allergy to a food I previously was able to eat almost every other year. So this new treatment seems like something I’d be interested in in the future. Could this treatment also be applied to seasonal allergies? Or does this treatment only aid in certain symptoms such as trouble breathing, hives, itchiness, sneezing, since symptoms of seasonal allergies include slightly different symptoms, such as watery or itchy eyes, runny nose, or congestion.
ReplyDelete- Gina Pasquale
Hi Caitlin, as someone who has a cat allergy I found this article really interesting. I didn't know that they were developing shots for this. Do you know when this shot is expected to come out?
ReplyDeleteHi Caitlyn, thank you for sharing! I have a cat at home and have friends who are very allergic to him. Science is getting so advance; I had never heard of the monthly allergy shot before. I was just talking about allergy reactions the other day and how epinephrine is simply a short term solution. Do you think that in the future shots will be created to permanently alter individuals health statuses and immunities? Do you believe that potential overuse of these techniques could contribute to a similar "super immunity"?
ReplyDeleteHi Victoria! I think the goal of these new shots is to permanently resolve one's allergy, so that epinephrine and other monthly shots would no longer be necessary. Hopefully with further research scientists can find a way to expand this shot focused on cat allergies to all other allergies as well!
DeleteThis was very interesting to read! I know a lot of people struggle with allergies with cats. I feel like a common issue in houses are when someone wants a pet but cannot get one because there’s someone with an allergy. It’s cool how technology has advanced this far to fight the allergy. Do you think this would be possible with other animals in the future?
ReplyDeleteHi Kelly! Although this specific shot is currently only targeted at cat allergies specifically, I definitely think with further research and more time it is a great possibility that this could be expanded to other animals, as well as other allergies such as food.
DeleteHello Caitlin!
ReplyDeleteThis is such an important and interesting topic to speak about. I myself suffer from many allergies including cat allergies. A question I do have would be did the paper mention what antibodies specifically would be included in the shot?
- Adyelis M. Colon Martinez