March 17, 2023
Millions of people worldwide live with allergies, for many these allergies are mild, but for some, the allergies are severe and debilitating. One particular group of people live with a condition called ‘severe allergic disease’, which causes food allergies, asthma, severe eczema, gastrointestinal disease and anaphylaxis from birth. The cause of these severe allergies is often unclear, which makes it particularly challenging for medical professionals to find effective treatments for these patients.
Thankfully, researchers from the B.C. Children’s Hospital have made a breakthrough that has the potential to dramatically improve the lives of children and adults living with severe allergic disease. The team has identified a gene, called STAT6, which behaves incorrectly in these patients. This gene is the ‘master regulator of allergies’, and is present in all of us, however in some people the gene is switched on ‘to the max’ at all times.
The researchers were able to identify an existing medication, Dupilumab, which significantly improves the symptoms these patients experience by regulating the activity of the STAT6 gene. This effective and targeted therapy has the potential to drastically enhance the quality of life for those diagnosed with sever allergic disease. This amazing finding opens the door to future discoveries to help us better understand the cause of allergies and how to better treat them.
Source: Vancouver Sun
Read More: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/bc-study-identifies-gene-variant-stat6-causes-severe-allergic-disease
**Note: Genome British Columbia is a proud supporter of this incredible research here in British Columbia. To learn more about our involvement with the research being conducted by this team you can click here and here.
