Nottingham: A molecular mechanism which could explain why allergies are more
common in developed countries has been discovered by researchers at The
University of Nottingham.
The experts in parasitology from the School of Life Sciences report in the journal Immunology that this finding could lead to new immunotherapies to prevent allergies. Allergies are known to be much more prevalent in Western populations but up to now why this is the case has been a mystery. One popular theory is the hygiene hypothesis, which suggests that our immune systems need to come into contact with a range of micro-organisms at a young age to produce appropriate immune responses later in life.
The experts in parasitology from the School of Life Sciences report in the journal Immunology that this finding could lead to new immunotherapies to prevent allergies. Allergies are known to be much more prevalent in Western populations but up to now why this is the case has been a mystery. One popular theory is the hygiene hypothesis, which suggests that our immune systems need to come into contact with a range of micro-organisms at a young age to produce appropriate immune responses later in life.