New research published by a team from Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry has found a key component of the body's own response to allergens can be targeted to reduce the severity of allergic reactions.

The researchers used mouse models to show that by targeting a molecule called p110δ it is possible to interfere in the allergic reaction before symptoms occur, but without shutting down the immune system and leaving the body vulnerable to infection.

The next step is to develop p110δ blockers and proceed into the preclinical arena in humans in the near future.

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)-funded work was published in The Journal of Immunology: 2008, 180: 2538-2544 “Isoform-Specific Functions of Phosphoinositide 3-Kinases: p110δ but Not p110γ Promotes Optimal Allergic Responses In Vivo.”