A joint research team consisting of Specially Appointed Professor Yoko Hazama of the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Tokyo, Caltech, which develops photocatalyst products, and the Inuyama Animal Medical Center, uses photocatalysts to treat allergens (allergens) in dogs and cats. It was the first in the world to succeed in decomposing and eliminating antigens).
According to Caltech, the research team put a solution extracted from the skin of dogs and cats on titanium oxide, a photocatalyst that exhibits a strong redox reaction by absorbing light, and irradiated it with light. We found that 24% and 98.3-93.6% of allergens were degraded in cats.
It was found that dog and cat allergens bind to human proteins in the human body and cause allergic reactions, but photocatalyst-degraded allergens have significantly reduced reactivity and do not cause allergies.
Seven types of dog allergy and eight types of cat allergy are confirmed to be caused by proteins contained in hair, skin scraps, saliva, urine, etc.It is estimated that 7-8% of the population has dog or cat allergies.
Some people are forced to leave their pet dogs and cats in animal shelters due to the onset of allergies such as acute asthma.Finding a way to suppress allergies that cause people to give up their beloved pets will help establish a better relationship between humans and pets, and further research is expected.
Paper information:[Toxics] TiO2-Photocatalyst-Induced Degradation of Dog and Cat Allergens under Wet and Dry Conditions Causes a Loss in Their Allergenicity
