Rice-based vaccine soon to treat allergy

A rice-based vaccine may one day replace anti-allergy injections, saysa study that promises new possibilities for treating allergy. Hidenori Takagi and other researchers at the University of Tokyo andShimane University developed and tested the vaccine on mice and foundit more easily assimilated, BBC News reported. The oral vaccine, which uses genetically modified rice to build up theimmune system, contains only part of the allergen in comparison totraditional injections and therefore carries less risk of a badreaction, the study said. One in four people are estimated to suffer from allergies, rangingfrom reactions to food to respiratory and skin allergies. Most can be controlled by regulating diet and the immediateenvironment, or drugs can be taken to limit the symptoms. But for severe hay fever and cat allergies, as well as for people withparticularly bad reactions to bee and wasp stings, courses ofanti-allergy injections can be given. "Plant-based vaccines have several potential advantages overtraditional whole-allergen injected vaccines since they are simpler toadminister and cheaper to produce," Takagi said. Although researchers believe it can sometimes trigger dangerousreactions, in the tests on mice allergic to cedar pollen, those takingthe rice vaccine for four weeks showed fewer allergic responses andsneezed less. The researchers said more research was needed before a human vaccinecould be produced. www.newindpress.com