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Allergies, like the common cold and asthma, have basically defied the best efforts of modern medicine to cure them. New research has focused on mechanisms that regulate the function of mast cells – the "villains" in triggering allergic reactions. When exposed to allergens, mast cells react violently and release an enormous array of pro-inflammatory substances, of which histamine is a well known example. These substances lead to acute symptoms ranging from stuffy nose, rash, and airway constriction to the lethal shock known from food or venom allergies. Later on, they attract inflammatory cells that will maintain the response, which often persists as a chronic disease. Researchers identified a receptor protein on mast cells, termed CD300a.
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