What Sets Allergies in Motion? Thursday, August 2, 2012 TAU
research identifies a protein group that may kick-start allergic
reactions Allergies, or hypersensitivities of the immune system,
are more common than ever before. According to the Asthma and
Allergies Foundation of America, one in five Americans suffers
from an allergy — from milder forms like hay fever to more
severe instances, like peanut allergies which can lead to
anaphylactic shock. While medications like antihistamines can
treat the symptoms of an allergic reaction, the treatment is too
limited, says Prof. Ronit Sagi-Eisenberg, a cell biologist at
Tel Aviv University's Sackler Faculty of Medicine. Cells release
dozens of molecules during an allergic reaction, and available
medications address only a small subset. Now she and her fellow
researchers are working to identify what triggers allergic
reactions in the body, with the goal of stopping an allergic
reaction before it starts. The answer may lie within the Rab
family, a group of 60 proteins