An edible allergy vaccine could one day replace injections ,a study reveals. Jabs, which build up anti bodies are used to treat severe forms of hay-fever and cat and venom allergies, but can sometimes trigger dangerous reactions. The Japanese researchers said the rice-based vaccine they tested on mice is less dangerous and more simple. One in four people are estimated to suffer from allergies, ranging from reactions to food to respiratory and skin allergies. For severe hay-fever and cat allergies ,as well as for people with particularly bad reactions to bee and wasp stings ,courses of anti-allergy injections can be given .
The vaccine developed by the joint University of Tokyo and Shimane University uses genetically - modified rice to build up the immune system. The oral vaccine contains only a part of the allergen in comparison to traditional injections and therefore carry less risk of a bad reaction, the study said. Report co-author Hidenori Takagi said the findings " open new possibilities" for treatment of allergies. Muriel Simmons,chief executive of Allergy UK, said more research was needed into treating allergies." "Courses of injections
have to be tightly monitered in hospital so anything that offers the hope of an easier and safer way to give them is to bev welcomed."
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| Posted : 11/7/2005 |
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