The world is full of house dust mites.
The world is full of house dust mites. Do some cleaning, and you’ll probably stir some up. While everyone has immune cells capable of reacting to common allergens like house dust mites, most of us have no allergic symptoms.
Still, many people do react with the typical allergic symptoms: sneezing, a runny nose, and itchy, swollen nasal passages. Others have a much more severe reaction: a life-threatening asthma attack.
To treat the root cause of allergies and asthma, researchers need to know exactly what sets these patients apart from healthy individuals.
In a new Science Immunology study, published on June 12, 2020, scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) offer a clue to why non-allergic people don’t have a strong reaction to house dust mites. They’ve uncovered a previously unknown subset of T cells that may control allergic immune reactions and asthma from ever developing in response to house dust mites—and other possible allergens.
Read more at La Jolla Institute For Immunology
Image: House dust mites are everywhere. CREDIT: La Jolla Institute for Immunology
