Allergies

A condition whose impact goes far beyond adverse reactions.

‘Itch-proof’ cosmetics, keeping inflammation-causing T cells in check, and other highlights from allergy and immunology studies.

Bullying, anxiety and depression can have a huge impact on the lives of people with allergies and their families.

Researchers are looking beyond allergen immunotherapy to help people whose pets make them sneeze.

The two technologies might ultimately bring an end to ‘may contain’ food labels, which consumers find confusing.

Early disruptions in the composition of the gut microbiome can directly influence digestive and immune function in ways that put children at greater risk.

Early oral exposure to some allergenic foods is now seen as a key prevention strategy, but tackling inhalant allergies remains a challenge.

An unusual reaction to mammalian meat is challenging the immunological understanding of allergies.

This Primer by Bousquet and colleagues summarizes the epidemiology, mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of allergic rhinitis. In addition, it reviews the quality-of-life issues faced by patients and provides an overview of how mobile health technologies could improve patient care.

This PrimeView highlights the mechanisms of allergic rhinitis, an allergic disorder that manifests as sneezing and nasal congestion, itch and discharge upon exposure to causative allergens.

The identification of the acute phase protein serum amyloid A as a soluble allergen sensor sheds new light on the mechanisms involved in the induction of type II airway inflammation.

Details about IgE-producing B cells in the gut in the context of food allergy are scarce, despite the frequent exposure of the gut and its associated lymphoid tissues to dietary antigens. A new study finds that IgE-producing B cells are enriched in gut tissues and are probably generated from local antibody isotype switching.

Incidence of food allergy in westernized populations is associated with low abundance of Prevotella. Here, the authors analyse the microbiome of a mother-infant prebirth cohort and find that maternal carriage, but not infant carriage, of P. copri during pregnancy predicts the absence of food allergy in the offspring.

Specific members of the gut microbiota are critical for regulating allergic responses to dietary antigens.

In this Review, the authors discuss how the gut microbiota might incite food sensitivity. They focus on direct and indirect mechanisms involving microorganisms and how increased understanding of these mechanisms will help the development of therapeutic strategies for food sensitivities.