A study from researchers at Northwestern Medicine provides a completely new method to treat asthma and allergies. A biodegradable nanoparticle shields the allergen from the immune system, preventing the allergic reaction in the airways as well as an asthma attack. (Cusabio produces various proteins and antibodies. )
The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, presents a safe and effective approach to treat or even cure patients with asthma and food allergies. Moreover, patients with lung allergy may no longer need lifelong medication.
The technology of creating tolerance in the immune system has been applied to some autoimmune disorders, such as celiac disease and multiple sclerosis. But this is the first time that it has been applied to allergic disorders.
The nanoparticles are made up of a biopolymer, known as PLGA. In addition, the nanoparticles can be designed to prevent various allergies, depending on what allergen they can deliver. In the study, the researchers injected the allergen-loaded nanoparticle into the blood of mice. They found that the immune system ignored the nanoparticle. Eventually, the nanoparticle and the allergen inside it were engulfed by a type of immune cells, called macrophages. So the allergic reaction to the allergen was shut down.
In the research, the team created mice models that were allergic to egg protein. These animals had antibodies against the protein in the bloodstream. If the mice were exposed to the protein again, the animals would have an allergic response, similar to asthma. After the researchers treated the mice with the nanaoparticle, the animals no longer had an allergic response to the protein.