Genetic Link Found for Allergies and Asthma

There are many of us that suffer from allergies, from asthma to cat allergies. The good news is that research is beginning to show why these allergies occur and eventually new medications can treat allergies and other related issues. The Journal of Leukocyte Biology published a paper about newly discovered cellular on and off switch for allergies and asthma. The scientists who published this paper have determined that there is a gene which turns the immune system on and off. And that a miss function of this gene is what causes allergies and asthma.
Bone marrow cells are responsible for producing mast cells and cytokines; the cytokines essentially turn the immune system on. The bone marrow also uses the cytokines as an off switch to stop the production of mast cells. By experimenting with mice showed researchers that the “off switch” did not work correctly in those mice which were prone to allergies.
Therefore this research has concluded that allergies may be caused by genes which prevent the “off switch” from working properly. This research may lead to new treatments for allergies which will fix the problem which causes allergies instead of the allergies themselves.
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (2009, May 4). Cellular On And Off Switch For Allergies And Asthma Discovered. ScienceDaily. Retrieved June 2, 2009, from http://www.sciencedaily.com¬ /releases/2009/04/090430101451.htm