Scientists Spot Key Food Allergy Molecule
07.02.07, 12:00 AM ET

MONDAY, July 2 (HealthDay News) -- British scientists say a molecule
called interleukin-12 can protect against food allergies.
A team at the Institute of Food Allergy Research in Norwich noted
that interleukin-12 is absent during the body's allergic response.

"We have identified a molecule that is very important for the
regulation of immune response and for the first time clearly
represents a potential target for the therapy of allergy. This is
currently under investigation," lead researcher Claudio Nicoletti
said in a prepared statement.

The molecule is made by white blood cells called dendrites. These
cells help regulate the body's immune response to foreign materials,
including food proteins. There is no cure for food allergies other
than avoiding the offending foods. For some people, food allergies
can be life-threatening.

Researchers compared dendritic cells in the gut and spleen of mice
with and without food allergies. Cells in the allergic mice did not
make interleukin-12, the research team reported.

The discovery helps explain how "a food protein can be perfectly
harmless to one person and lethal to another," Nicoletti said. "We
have identified the missing molecule that normally keeps immune
responses under control."

The study is published in the July issue of the Journal of Allergy
and Clinical Immunology

More information

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