PEOPLE who are allergic to cats may find that relief is on the way in the form of a vaccine designed to retrain the sufferers' immune systems.
When susceptible people come into contact with flakes of cat skin called dander, T cells in their immune systems set off a chemical chain reaction that produces the familiar symptoms of allergy, including sneezing, runny noses, itching and asthma. The vaccine, which is about to go on trial in the US, aims to re-educate T cells so that they no longer react to the dander.
ImmuLogic, a company in Waltham, Massachusetts, has recruited 300 sufferers for the test. In earlier trials, the vaccine relieved the symptoms of 87 per cent of patients who received the highest doses, and 75 per cent of patients on a lower dose. The outcome of the latest trial will determine whether the company receives approval to sell the ...
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