Say Goodbye to Dog Allergies?
Written by Carlos Rendon
Edited by Emily Moran
March 21, 2022
Edited by Emily Moran
March 21, 2022
As of 2018, around 38% of households had dogs, which are also the most popular pets in the United States. As the saying goes, the lovable canines are truly man’s best friend. Unfortunately, as many as 3 out of every 10 people in the United States suffer from dog allergies, and about 5-10% of the worldwide population suffer from severe allergic reactions from dogs. People that have allergic reactions to dogs often are unable to keep them as pets even if they would like to.
On a more positive note, in a recent study, researchers have attempted to identify a way to produce a potential vaccine for dog allergies. The researchers studied Can f 1, one of the seven canine allergens. Allergens are particles that cause allergies, and Can f 1 is the allergen responsible for up to 75% of dog-related allergy cases (Nakatsuji et al., 2022). Allergens have epitopes, which can be thought of as identification cards that the immune system can recognize. The reason why some people are allergic to dogs and some people aren’t is that those who are allergic have IgE, or the “card readers”, that can identify the epitope. When the epitope binds to IgE, IgE releases antibodies which then travel throughout the body causing wheezing, rashes, sneezing, and all the other symptoms involved in an allergic reaction (Nakatsuji et al., 2022).
The researchers hoped that by identifying the epitopes, they could then create vaccines that would introduce the allergens into the body and prepare the immune system so that it can build a defense when it encounters allergens from dogs (Nakatsuji et al., 2022). The researchers were able to identify that the physical structure of Can f 1 was very similar to some of the other canine allergens. This could mean a vaccine could potentially be created for all potential dog allergies.
Although more research is needed, it seems like a vaccine for dog allergies could be achieved in the very near future. Maybe someday, everyone will be able to enjoy the companionship of man’s best friend without having to worry about annoying allergies.
References
Nakatsuji, M., Sugiura, K., Suda, K., Sakurai, M., Ubatani, M., Muroya, H., Okubo, R., Noguchi, R., Kamata, Y., Fukutomi, Y., Ishibashi, O., Nishimura, S. and Inui, T. (2022), Structure-based prediction of the IgE epitopes of the major dog allergen Can f 1. FEBS J. https://doi.org/10.1111/febs.16252
Image Source: “Dog_Breeds” by Hebrew Matio licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0