Allergies have so many initiation , and auto - resistant disease are so various in their core it seems safe to take up in effect treatment will be evenly varied . Yet one team of scientists has found the little - know molecule neuritin has potentiality in dampening down an tremendous range of harmful over - reaction by the body ’s defense . Perhaps there really is one protein to reign them all , and a short - cut out of so many people ’s suffering .
The immune system is like the body ’s jurisprudence enforcement , neutralise threats to the community of cells . Sometimes , however , rogue immune cells start snipe free company instead , be they the vital organs or harmless bits of pollen .
" We found this utterly gripping mechanics of our own body that stops the yield of rogue antibody that can cause either autoimmunity or allergies , " saidProfessor Carola Vinuesaof the Australian National University in astatement . " We have shown it is one of our immune system ’s own mechanisms to prevent autoimmunity and allergic reaction and now we have the evidence , we can go on to harness that for treatment . "
Dr Paula Gonzalez - Figueroaadmitted to IFLScience that the possibility of a universal anti - allergy / machine - resistant intervention “ sound too in effect to be on-key . ” Nevertheless , she went on ; “ The underlying cause of all these conditions is the overproduction of rogue antibody . ” Neuritin suppresses this . Admittedly , one can also eliminate allergies and motorcar - immune conditions by suppressing the whole immune organisation , with calamitous consequence . Neuritin , however , appears to have far more point force than many exist treatments – and as a protein that already exists in the body , Gonzalez - Figueroa hopes it will leave the immune organisation free to fight the invaders it is meant to oppose .
If the possibility a undivided protein could have such wide effects is astounding , the fact we are only study about it now is almost equally hard to think . Gonzalez - Figueroa explained to IFLScience neuritin has been known for a while , but only in the learning ability and nerves . The idea it could have any office at all in the immune system is recent . “ Our laboratory found the cells that bring out neuritin 10 years ago , ” Gonzalez - Figueroa tell IFLScience . “ They ’re very rare cells but we experience they had an authoritative function in regulating the immune organization . ” The neuritin gene stood out as one of those these cells express the most .
Gonzalez - Figueroa and Vinuesa have published a subject field inCell , exhibit that mice qualify to not produce neuritin for the immune arrangement suffer more severe allergies . Moreover , the researchers are surefooted this is n’t just more workplace in mice that wo n’t prolong to humans . “ We ’ve also try out it in human cells , ” Gonzalez - Figueroa told IFLScience . “ We looked at lymph cell from several patient ’ tonsils and press them to give rise antibody . If we sum up neuritin it draw a blank the operation where the cells secernate to produce [ rogue ] antibodies . ”
" This could be more than a new drug – it could be a completely new approach to treat allergies and autoimmune disease , " Vinuesasaid .
The team has already had discussions with possible pharmaceutic partners . However , Gonzalez - Figueroa says the team wants to identify which of the 80 or so autoimmune disease are likely to be most effectively process by neuritin before starting trials , a process she recall will take “ a span of geezerhood ” . employment is underway on address mouse models of rheumatoid arthritis , lupus , and food allergies to settle this doubtfulness .
