TeachableMedicalNews article 04302021
Teachable moment in classrooms:
- immune system chapter – IgE antibodies are made in response to allergens
- immune system chapter – interactions of antibody with specific targets
- immune system chapter – elements of anaphylactic reaction
The news item: Recently several news outlets reported on a new cat food, Purina’s Pro Plan LiveClear, that reduces people’s allergic reaction to cats:
Purina Pro Plan Releasing Cat Food that Can Help Ease Cat Allergies in Humans
Purina Pro Plan LiveClear is designed to safely neutralize Fel d1, the main allergen that causes cat allergies, in your cat’s saliva
The article states that Fel d1 is the major cat allergen, and the new cat food makes cats to carry less of this allergen on their fur.
So, Why Do I Care??
About 10-30% of people are prone to develop allergies to cats. 95% of cat allergies happen because of anaphylactic reaction to the Fel d1 cat allergen. With the popularity of cats in households, any non-invasive method to decrease allergic reactions can have major impact on the quality of life for millions of people in the US alone. In addition, this approach may point the way to similar solution to other allergy problems.
Plain English, Please!!!
First, let’s talk about what is an allergy. Some cells in our immune system are programmed to recognize foreign material we breathe in or we swallow. When immune cells make an IgE antibody in response, then that foreign material is now called an allergen. When the allergen enters the body the second time,