The research group of Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Atopic Disease Research Center, Associate Professor Toshiro Takai and others has found that the combination of proteolytic activity contained in antigens such as mites and pollen and skin barrier disorders due to scratches is allergic antibodies and T cells. It was clarified that it promotes production and exacerbates skin inflammation, and also affects the development of allergic march such as asthma.
In the prevention and treatment of allergies, it is important to maintain the skin barrier function by moisturizing, but the mechanism of skin-mediated irritation and sensitization by allergens has not been elucidated.So far, many experimental models have used egg white albumin, which does not have the proteolytic enzyme activity that allergens originally have, as an antigen, but the research group dared to use an antigen with protease activity to bring it closer to the actual environment, such as antibodies. The production process of albumin and the induction of skin inflammation were investigated.
First, application of a papaya-derived protease having a structure similar to that of a major mite allergen to the skin of mice induced skin inflammation and production of immunoglobulin (IgE), which is an antibody contained in blood.It was then found that when this was applied to the skin of mice that mimicd actual scratches, skin inflammation and IgE production were more strongly induced.This mechanism is different from respiratory inhalation sensitization, and inhalation of transdermally sensitized mice induces airway inflammation even with inhalation of trace amounts of protease antigen, which has a great effect on the development of allergic march. It was also understood.
The results of this research were published in the online version of the scientific journal "Journal of Investigative Dermatology" published by the American Society for Investigative Dermatology.It has great significance in that it aims at prevention and treatment according to the actual environmental conditions, and in the future, it will target the inhibition of protease activity of allergens and the downstream route of skin barrier disorders due to all factors. It is expected that research will be carried out toward the formulation of new preventive and therapeutic strategies.
