Allergic response tied to lipid molecules in cell membrane

Allergic response tied to lipid molecules in cell membrane

A team of Penn State researchers is the first to demonstrate that lipid molecules in cell membranes participate in mammals' reactions to allergens in a living cell. The finding will help scientists better understand how allergy symptoms are triggered and could contribute to the creation of improved drugs to treat them. The work will be reported in the March 14 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry. The team studied clusters of cholesterol-rich lipid molecules that they believe serve as platforms for the receptors that receive antibodies, the proteins that protect the body from allergens. In this case, the team examined IgE antibodies, which upon binding to their receptors initiate a cell's release of histamine -- the substance that causes the unpleasant, but beneficial, mucous production, congestion and itchiness associated with allergies.

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