Re: Vaccine could offer relief to cat allergies

[Guest guest]

"Could offer." "Appears." "Seems to." "Hope." "We think." "Maybe."

Or maybe not.

Winnie Vaccine could offer relief to cat allergiesVaccinations > > Vaccine could offer relief to cat allergies> > > > If you love cats, but your allergy-prone eyes and nose can't > stand them, > here's some good news: scientists from McMaster University in > Hamilton, Ont. > are working on a vaccine that appears to treat cat allergies. > (Joanna Miron > for CTV.ca)> > CTV.ca News Staff> > Date: Thu. Mar. 31 2011 1:25 PM ET> > If you love cats, but your allergy-prone eyes and nose can't > stand them, > here's some good news: scientists from McMaster University in > Hamilton, Ont. > are working on a vaccine that appears to treat cat allergies.> > About 8 to 10 per cent of the population is allergic to cats. > For most of > them, they've had three choices: get rid of the cat; keep the > cat but take > daily doses of antihistamines; or try a regimen of costly -- and > sometimes > risky -- allergy shots, also called immunotherapy.> > But now immunologist Mark Larche, a professor at McMaster's > Department of > Medicine has developed a vaccine that can help.> > The vaccine has been 10 years in the making. It was developed by > taking a > protein that cats emit in their dander that appears to cause the > majority of > cat allergy problems.> > While traditional allergy shots use an extract that contains the > whole > protein, to create this vaccine, Larche's team deconstructed the > protein to > narrow in on the key regions that activate those T-cells that > cause the > immune systems of allergy sufferers to go into overdrive.> > They found seven of these peptides (strings of amino acids) and > then made > synthetic versions of these peptides. The synthetic peptides > were then used > to create the "peptide immunotherapy" vaccine.> > When the vaccine is administered into the skin through four to > eight doses a > year, allergy symptoms are either reduced or eliminated. What's > more, unlike > traditional allergy shots, this vaccine seems to cause few side > effects.> Results of the initial testing of the vaccine on a small group > of patients > were published in a recent issue of the Journal of Allergy & > Clinical > Immunology. That testing, conducted on about 300 patients, > determined the > vaccine was safe and well tolerated when given as a single dose.> > It also found that the vaccine reduced and prevented symptoms > "for a > prolonged period," Larche said. The hope is that the vaccine > will at least > be able to turn severe allergies into mild allergies.> > "Right now, we think that a short course of four shots will > protect for at > least one year and maybe much more," he explained in an email to > CTV.ca.> > > > > > Now, the research team is working on phase three clinical trials > to > determine the optimal dose using a much-larger group of cat > allergy > sufferers. That testing should help determine whether a single > course of > shots will confer lifelong protection, or whether an annual > booster will be > required.> > > The vaccine is being developed with Adiga Life Sciences. It is a > joint > venture between McMaster University and Circassia Ltd., a U.K.-> based biotech > company.> > And if your problem isn't cats, but dust or ragweed, there's > more good news. > Adiga and McMaster are also collaborating on peptide > immunotherapy research > for house dust mites and ragweed, as well as grass, birch tree > and moulds.> > > > http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Health/20110331/cat-allergy-vaccine-110331/> > > > ------------------------------------> >

[Guest guest]

LOL! That was a good one, Winnie!!!!

>

> " Could offer. " " Appears. " " Seems to. " " Hope. " " We think. " " Maybe. "

>

> Or maybe not.

>

> Winnie

>

[Guest guest]

Or gosh, just feed the cat an appropriate diet and that can help too.. then the cat is healthier and you are happier too Nita, mom to: 18, Jon 16, 14, 12, 9, Christian (7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 5, Isaac 3 and , born 3/1/11http://momof6.dotphoto.com for possibly current pictures and http://nitasspot.blogspot.comLearn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

[Guest guest]

I was thinking the same thing. I have 4 raw fed cats and I'm a pretty lax house keeper but my allergic friend can come over no problem when typically she immediately gets stuffed up around cats.JenOn Apr 1, 2011, at 12:23, "Venita Garner" <nitagarner@...> wrote:

Or gosh, just feed the cat an appropriate diet and that can help too.. then the cat is healthier and you are happier too Nita, mom to: 18, Jon 16, 14, 12, 9, Christian (7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 5, Isaac 3 and , born 3/1/11http://momof6.dotphoto.com for possibly current pictures and http://nitasspot.blogspot.comLearn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough to make them all yourself.

[Guest guest]

I think the “allergic†excuse is over used and too convenient. I can’t even say how many ads I see for “allergic to cats, they must goâ€.. I emailed one person once about hey.. my dh had the same problem, switched them to raw and no problems.. never heard another word but I think it’s so easy to just label “don’t want the cat anymore†to “allergic to cats†I first read about the allergy and raw issue when I was reading a book on cat care and this very allergic woman worked in a raw-fed cat rescue and did just fine!! That is what convinced my dh to have us go raw for the cats.. he wanted relief. I wanted to keep the cats. We don’t need another vaccine, either for humans or pets for a problem that is so simply and much more effectively remedied….but once again… keep life simple. Give ‘em a shot, give a scoop of dry nasty food… it’s all good. Pop a pill. Make it painless. Don’t go to any effort or out of your way.. it drives me NUTS! Nita, mom to: 18, Jon 16, 14, 12, 9, Christian (7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 5, Isaac 3 and , born 3/1/11http://momof6.dotphoto.com for possibly current pictures and http://nitasspot.blogspot.comLearn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough to make them all yourself._

[Guest guest]

May I ask what you feed your cats? I have switched our cats' wet food over to

tuna, as I didn't like all the extra junk listed on the labels. We feed it to

them in the morning. But the rest of the time there is dry food in their dish.

Thanks,

Amy

>

> I think the “allergic†excuse is over used and too convenient. I can’t

even say how many ads I see for “allergic to cats, they must goâ€.. I emailed

one person once about hey.. my dh had the same problem, switched them to raw and

no problems.. never heard another word but I think it’s so easy to just label

“don’t want the cat anymore†to “allergic to catsâ€

>

>

>

> I first read about the allergy and raw issue when I was reading a book on cat

care and this very allergic woman worked in a raw-fed cat rescue and did just

fine!! That is what convinced my dh to have us go raw for the cats.. he wanted

relief. I wanted to keep the cats.

>

>

>

> We don’t need another vaccine, either for humans or pets for a problem that

is so simply and much more effectively remedied….but once again… keep life

simple. Give ‘em a shot, give a scoop of dry nasty food… it’s all good.

Pop a pill. Make it painless. Don’t go to any effort or out of your way.. it

drives me NUTS!

>

>

>

> Nita, mom to: 18, Jon 16, 14, 12, 9, Christian

(7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 5, Isaac 3 and , born 3/1/11

> <http://momof6.dotphoto.com/> http://momof6.dotphoto.com for possibly current

pictures and <http://nitasspot.blogspot.com/> http://nitasspot.blogspot.com

> Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough to

make them all yourself.

>

> _

>