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Team:Linkoping Sweden/Project/Context
From 2014.igem.org
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<p>A food allergy is defined by FARE<sup>1</sup> (Food Allergy Research and Education) as a misguided over-reaction by the immune system to a foreign substance usually harmless for others. This exaggerated immune response is mediated by immunoglobulin antibodies (IgE antibodies) which are proteins produced by the immune system to fight foreign substances. IgE antibodies trigger the symptoms of an allergic reaction, which can vary in severity from slight itchiness to potentially fatal anaphylaxis (difficulty breathing, reduced blood pressure).</p> | <p>A food allergy is defined by FARE<sup>1</sup> (Food Allergy Research and Education) as a misguided over-reaction by the immune system to a foreign substance usually harmless for others. This exaggerated immune response is mediated by immunoglobulin antibodies (IgE antibodies) which are proteins produced by the immune system to fight foreign substances. IgE antibodies trigger the symptoms of an allergic reaction, which can vary in severity from slight itchiness to potentially fatal anaphylaxis (difficulty breathing, reduced blood pressure).</p> | ||
| - | <p>A person living with a food allergy is under constant threat from hidden allergens in anything they consume, wear, or even breathe. It is generally considered that peanut allergies are amongst the most dangerous of allergies due to the severity of the symptoms despite minimal contact and the fact that peanut allergies are often life-long<sup>2</sup> <sup>3</sup>. Peanut allergies amongst children have risen at alarming rates, tripling between 1997 and 2008 in the United States<sup>4</sup>. Other countries, like Canada | + | <p>A person living with a food allergy is under constant threat from hidden allergens in anything they consume, wear, or even breathe. It is generally considered that peanut allergies are amongst the most dangerous of allergies due to the severity of the symptoms despite minimal contact and the fact that peanut allergies are often life-long<sup>2</sup> <sup>3</sup>. Peanut allergies amongst children have risen at alarming rates, tripling between 1997 and 2008 in the United States<sup>4</sup>. Other countries, like Canada, Australia and the UK have observed similar trends<sup>5</sup> <sup>6</sup>.</p> |
<p>So what exactly is it that triggers the allergic response from the peanut allergen?</p> | <p>So what exactly is it that triggers the allergic response from the peanut allergen?</p> | ||
<div class="reference-section"> | <div class="reference-section"> | ||
Revision as of 10:54, 22 August 2014
The Context
A food allergy is defined by FARE1 (Food Allergy Research and Education) as a misguided over-reaction by the immune system to a foreign substance usually harmless for others. This exaggerated immune response is mediated by immunoglobulin antibodies (IgE antibodies) which are proteins produced by the immune system to fight foreign substances. IgE antibodies trigger the symptoms of an allergic reaction, which can vary in severity from slight itchiness to potentially fatal anaphylaxis (difficulty breathing, reduced blood pressure).
A person living with a food allergy is under constant threat from hidden allergens in anything they consume, wear, or even breathe. It is generally considered that peanut allergies are amongst the most dangerous of allergies due to the severity of the symptoms despite minimal contact and the fact that peanut allergies are often life-long2 3. Peanut allergies amongst children have risen at alarming rates, tripling between 1997 and 2008 in the United States4. Other countries, like Canada, Australia and the UK have observed similar trends5 6.
So what exactly is it that triggers the allergic response from the peanut allergen?
2Clinical characteristics of peanut allergy," Clin. Exp. Allergy, 1997; "An evaluation of the sensitivity of subjects with peanut allergy to very low doses of peanut protein," J. Allergy Clin. Immunol., 1997
3http://www.jaci-inpractice.org/article/S2213-2198(12)00019-0/fulltext
4http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(10)00575-0/fulltext
5http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(07)01388-7/fulltext
6http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(10)00575-0/fulltext
