Science
Mast Cells Hint at Cure for Allergies
February 4, 2009 - 12:00am
Prof. David Holowka, chemistry and chemical biology, uses sophisticated science to tackle a commonplace problem — allergies. According to statistics collected by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, more than 50 million people in the United States suffer from allergies — hypersensitivity to certain environmental substances known as allergens. Holowka said recent breakthroughs in research might be the first step towards drastically reducing this number, in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Holowka and his team have been researching receptor-stimulated calcium responses in mast cells. A mast cell is a special type of cell thought to originate from bone marrow and considered part of the immune system.
During an allergic response, an antibody called immunoglobulin E, or IgE, attaches itself to the surface of mast cells. The specialized IgE molecule binds to specific antigens, causing the mast cells to produce histamine, which initiates the inflammatory response commonly associated with many allergic reactions.
Scientists try to “knock out” this function in the IgE molecules to stop the allergic response, but Holowka admits that such efforts “have proven much harder to implement in a human being than in cultured cells or even in mice.” Knocking out the function of a specific molecule is one of the goals of gene therapy, a broad category of research that has had limited success. Luckily, new information from research on campus may provide an alternative treatment for people seeking relief from their allergic reactions.
By targeting certain proteins, scientists can alter the ability of mast cells to replenish their internal calcium ion supply through a process known as store operated calcium entry (SOCE). This is important because mast cells are activated by an inward flow of calcium ions. Normally, mast cells have enough calcium ions in their external environment to keep the activation process running. However, under more stressful conditions — such as an allergic response — the mast cells may become so highly activated that they dip into their internal store of calcium ions to compensate.
Holowka’s research has investigated the calcium ion channels involved in SOCE. Determining the exact role of each protein involved is a long and complicated process, but Holowka and his team are hopeful.
“Understanding the proteins involved in ‘store-operated calcium entry’ and their mechanism of action could lead to new drugs that might selectively target [SOCE] to control allergies or other immune disorders. Unlike gene therapy,” he said. “This approach has many examples of success, such as antihistamines.”
Antihistamines may relieve the symptoms of allergies, but Holowka cautions that continuing research is necessary since these types of drugs are not a cure.
Prof. David Holowka, chemistry and chemical biology, uses sophisticated science to tackle a commonplace problem — allergies. According to statistics collected by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, more than 50 million people in the United States suffer from allergies — hypersensitivity to certain environmental substances known as allergens. Holowka said recent breakthroughs in research might be the first step towards drastically reducing this number, in the U.S. and elsewhere.
Holowka and his team have been researching receptor-stimulated calcium responses in mast cells. A mast cell is a special type of cell thought to originate from bone marrow and considered part of the immune system.
During an allergic response, an antibody called immunoglobulin E, or IgE, attaches itself to the surface of mast cells. The specialized IgE molecule binds to specific antigens, causing the mast cells to produce histamine, which initiates the inflammatory response commonly associated with many allergic reactions.
Scientists try to “knock out” this function in the IgE molecules to stop the allergic response, but Holowka admits that such efforts “have proven much harder to implement in a human being than in cultured cells or even in mice.” Knocking out the function of a specific molecule is one of the goals of gene therapy, a broad category of research that has had limited success. Luckily, new information from research on campus may provide an alternative treatment for people seeking relief from their allergic reactions.
By targeting certain proteins, scientists can alter the ability of mast cells to replenish their internal calcium ion supply through a process known as store operated calcium entry (SOCE). This is important because mast cells are activated by an inward flow of calcium ions. Normally, mast cells have enough calcium ions in their external environment to keep the activation process running. However, under more stressful conditions — such as an allergic response — the mast cells may become so highly activated that they dip into their internal store of calcium ions to compensate.
Holowka’s research has investigated the calcium ion channels involved in SOCE. Determining the exact role of each protein involved is a long and complicated process, but Holowka and his team are hopeful.
“Understanding the proteins involved in ‘store-operated calcium entry’ and their mechanism of action could lead to new drugs that might selectively target [SOCE] to control allergies or other immune disorders. Unlike gene therapy,” he said. “This approach has many examples of success, such as antihistamines.”
Antihistamines may relieve the symptoms of allergies, but Holowka cautions that continuing research is necessary since these types of drugs are not a cure.