New Research Identifies Molecule that Produces Allergic Response

A new study from the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas has identified a molecule that “specifically directs immune cells to develop the capability to produce an allergic response."

Lead researcher Yong-Jun Liu, MD, PhD, and the rest of the research team found that when the signaling molecule thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) bound to dendritic cells, a “distinct” set of signaling pathways were activated. This activation caused the dendritic cells to produce messenger molecules that acted on the T cells, causing them to develop into Th2 cells. According to the researchers, this process identified in the study pinpoints “TSLP as a switch that causes the development of the allergic response in people and suggests that this molecule may be a potential therapeutic target to treat and prevent allergic diseases.”

Although it was previously known that dendritic cells could come into contact with T cells and produce either helper 1 (Th1) or helper 2 (Th2) cells, according to the researchers, it was not clear how the dendritic cells led the T cells to become Th2 cells. This new study, according to the researchers, identifies TSLP as the mechanism for that reaction.

The study was also published in Science Signaling.