Do you like cats but cannot approach them because they make you sick? Good news, a team of 3 scientists, allergists and immunologists from the University of Zurich (German-speaking Switzerland) has discovered a treatment that can be administered to cats that would make it possible to fight this disease. allergy.
Cough, asthma, sneezing, breathing difficulties, hives, 10% of the population is allergic to cat hair. And contrary to popular belief, it is not the hair of cats that triggers the allergy, but a protein, (Fel d 1), present in their saliva. When animals wash or lick themselves, they deposit it on their hair and therefore transmit it to humans.
“We want to develop a vaccine, HypoCAT, which would guarantee all lovers of allergic cats to be able to live with their pets without having to undergo medical treatment. Without risk for the animal, this treatment would just reduce the production of the protein involved “useless to cats”, explains Gabriela Senti, one of the researchers participating in the project.
The team of researchers created a company, Hypo Pet, to develop their first vaccine, the Hypo cat, hoping to manufacture another similar vaccine, the Hypo Dog, for the 5% allergic to dog hair. The product should be available within three years. Their innovative discovery has already been awarded a Swiss Technology Adward. Each year, this prize awards companies to the most innovative discoveries.
