Pill to cure feline allergy could be the cat\'s whiskers

They’ve worked out how our feline friends can trigger allergic reactions ranging from a fit of sneezes to a dangerous asthma attack. The Nottingham University breakthrough could lead to a pill that eases the agony of the allergy for millions. What’s more, the drug may nip other allergies in the bud, from hay fever to irritating reactions to house dust mites. Researcher Dr Amir Ghaem-Maghami (CORR) said: ‘Most treatments at the moment are symptomatic – you have the allergy and then you try to stop the symptoms. ‘What we are saying is that if you understand what happens at the time the irritant interacts with the body, you can intervene early on.’ Dr Ghaem-Maghami has identified a protein on the surface of the dendritic cells that kick-starts the whole process. Crucially, it appears to be the only protein cell involved in the first stage of cat allergy, meaning that a drug that targets it, or the signals it sends out, could provide widespread relief. The protein, known as the mannose receptor, also plays a role in house dust mite and dog allergies, so any drug could also be effective there too.  It may also work against hay fever, said the researcher, whose findings are reported in the journal Current Biology (MUST CREDIT). He has already started work on making new allergy treatments, although there are five to 10 years away from use. Dr Amir Ghaem-Maghami said: ‘There has been a sharp increase in the prevalence of allergies over the past few decades and allergic asthma among children has reached epidemic proportions in many industrialised countries, including the UK. ‘Despite improvements in patient care, three people die every day in the UK from asthma, and most therapies target symptoms rather than curing the condition. ‘One of the main problems with allergic disease is the impact on quality of life.  For those who are suffering, it is a very big deal. ‘There is also the cost.  In 2006, the direct cost to the NHS was £1.4billion and that doesn’t include lost working days.’ Dr Elaine Vickers, of Asthma UK, which funded the work, said: ‘We are delighted to see the rapid progress that Dr Ghaem-Maghami and his colleagues are making in such a complex area of research.’