Although an alkaline diet can help with allergies because it avoids foods that produce mucus such as flour, chocolate and eggs, some people still suffer from harsh allergies during certain times of the year.
A new study has discovered a molecule, known as thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), which specifically tells immune cells to produce an allergic response. Researchers from the University of Texas believe that this molecule is the key to the development of allergic diseases such as asthma, eczema and food allergies.
Researchers used dendritic cells that were isolated from the blood and found that when they were binded with TSLP, the cells set off signals within other cells that resulting in the dentritic cells breaking into subsets, causing an allergic response.
These findings were significant because previous studies were not able to determine who dentritic cells broke into subset cells. The researchers hope that this studys findings will help physicians narrow in on the TSLP molecule when it comes to treating patients for allergies, as it may lead to a more effective cure.