Canadian researchers discover cell that may help develop cure for allergies – GLOBAL

February 7, 2024

Canadian researchers have discovered a cell that they believe holds promising potential in laying the groundwork for a future cure for allergies.

The cell, called a type-2 memory B cell (MBC2), remembers your allergies., the researchers said in a study published Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine. This means, for example, if you are allergic to peanuts your MBC2s alert the immune system and an allergic reaction follows.

“One of the major issues with allergies, especially peanut allergies and allergic rhinitis, is that people will stay allergic for a lifetime,” said Josh Koenig, assistant professor with McMaster’s Department of Medicine, and lead author of the study.

“Our immune system remembers, it has memory that we are allergic to these foods,” he told Global News.

More than three million Canadians suffer from allergies, and there is no cure, according to Food Allergy Canada. Some allergies may be mild and lead to itching or sneezing, while others may have more severe reactions such as difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat, or anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening.

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/10278280/allergies-cell-cure-canadian-researchers/