The results of French research open the way to new therapeutic possibilities for the treatment of allergies.
- Nearly 25 to 30% of the world’s population is affected by an allergy, according to Inserm.
- Mast cells, a type of immune cell, could play a key role in anti-allergy therapeutic strategies.
- Thanks to their results, the researchers developed the first “digital mapping” of human mast cells.
An allergy results in a hypersensitivity of the body to substances, called allergens, which may be present in the air, food or medications. According to the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), 25 to 30% of the world’s population is affected by an allergy. By 2050, this proportion could increase to 50%. The scientific community is therefore working to determine the biological and cellular mechanisms that are involved in the development of allergies, in order to develop therapies.
Mast cells could be an avenue in the treatment of allergies
In a study published in July 2023 in the journal Journal of Experimental Medicineresearchers from Inserm, CNRS and Toulouse III University were interested in mast cells, a type of immune cell, which could play a key role in the treatment of allergies.
During this work, the scientists used the single sequencing technique, in other words they sequenced the RNA of individual cells from several organs, in order to extract their individual “identity card”. “The analysis of human cells with this method reveals a much more complex picture than what has been described so far. Indeed, the cells of more than thirty human organs have been analyzed using advanced bank exploration techniques. data and bioinformatics. Researchers have thus identified not two but seven different subtypes of mast cells, presenting diverse characteristics and functions”, can we read in a press release from Inserm.
The design of a “digital map” of human mast cells
Following these results, the researchers created and made freely available the first “digital mapping” of human mast cells. This device makes it possible to see which mast cell subtype is associated with which organ and to learn more about its function.
The conclusions of this research therefore open up possibilities for developing anti-allergy therapeutic strategies. “This study is the first stone of a vast building which should make it possible to transform anti-allergic therapies and move towards greater personalization of treatments, with more effectiveness and fewer adverse effects. We will continue to complete this mapping by studying mast cells in different pathological contexts, in treated or untreated patients, so that it is as precise as possible for the scientific and medical community working on allergies”noted Nicolas Gaudenzio, researcher at Inserm.
