Two new treatments for people allergic to grass and dust mites have been successfully tested by researchers from McMaster University.
Common allergies can be a real bother as they keep you sneezing for hours on ends. There are thousands of people who are allergic to grass and dust mites, leaving them sneezing, itching and with a runny nose. Researchers from McMaster University noted that these allergens are responsible for more than 50 percent of allergic respiratory diseases. Approximately 25 percent of the North American and European population is sensitive to pollens of varied grass species. One in four people is sensitive to house dust mites, more than any other common allergen.
In an attempt to find solutions for some of these allergies, researchers from McMaster University were successful in testing two treatments, one for grass allergies and the other for allergies caused due to dust mites. Researchers hope that the new treatments will prove to be effective.
The new treatments belong to a set of therapies known as synthetic peptide immuno-regulatory epitopes (SPIRE)
The second phase of the clinical trial for the grass allergy treatment was conducted on 280 patients who were asked to record their allergy symptoms while exposed to grass pollen in a controlled environment, both before treatment and at the end of the hay fever season. All participants were given one of three potential treatments for a period of three months before the beginning of the pollen season. Researchers found that those who were given the new treatment called Grass-SPIRE had significantly improved symptoms at the end of the season, compared to those who had a placebo.
In the clinical trial for dust mite treatment, 172 patients received four doses of the treatment called HDM-SPIRE over 12 weeks. Researchers noted significantly improved allergy symptoms a year after the start of treatment, compared to patients who received a placebo.
"This result is an important validation of the approach we are taking to treat allergic diseases," said Mark Larché, who led the design of the treatments. "Positive results, first with a cat allergy therapy and now with house dust mite and grass allergy treatments, suggest that this approach may be used for many common allergies."
