New Findings about IL-33 You May Want to Know

A team of researchers from the French Scientific Research Center and the National Institute of Health and Medical Research discovered that a protein acts like a sensor can detect asthma-inducing allergens in the respiratory tract. Their research, co-led by Corinne Cayrol and Jean-Philippe Girard, was recently published in Nature Immunology and has brought new breakthroughs in the treatment of allergic diseases.

What are the common features of mold, pollen, and wolfberry? Although they belong to three different organisms, they all can cause allergies in susceptible people. Although the composition varies greatly, they all contain enzymes called proteases.

The team found a human protein that reacts with environmental allergens: interleukin-33 (IL-33). When allergens enter the human respiratory tract, they release proteases that activate IL-33 to become extremely active. This triggers an allergic chain reaction.

At the same time, this mechanism has led to allergic reactions to various allergens. IL-33 can detect 14 different allergens, including environmental air (such as pollen, indoor aphids, fungal spores, etc.) and occupational asthma-related (like subtilisin found in detergents) allergens.

These findings are important because they find a direct relationship between genes and the environment. In fact, the gene encoding IL-33 is indeed one of the major genes that cause people to easily develop asthma. In addition, clinical trials targeting IL-33 are ongoing. Inhibiting the production of activated IL-33 after exposure to allergens may be an effective way to control severe allergic reactions in allergic patients.

Collected by Creative BioMart.