Ghent researchers find mechanism that triggers allergies

The protein had earlier been identified as key to triggering chronic infection processes in the lungs, skin and gastrointestinal tract. But until now, it hasn’t been possible to develop treatments because scientists didn’t have enough knowledge of the structure of the protein and the way it interacts with receptors on the surface of cells to start diverse infection processes.

The breakthrough is the result of a collaboration between the departments of biology, biophysics and molecular and cellular biology. The researchers will now pass on their conclusions to pharmaceutical companies for the development of more efficient treatments of different kinds of allergies.

The research was funded by the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research, the Flemish government's Hercules Foundation and several European knowledge centres.