Scientists Discoverโฃ Surprising Allergy Fix: UV Light
For allergy sufferers, a truly effective long-term โsolution hasโ remained elusive. Traditional methods like filtering air, frequent vacuuming, and rigorous cleaning can reduceโ allergenโ levels, but maintainingโ these efforts consistently proves challenging. Now,a team of researchers ledโค by Dr. Eidem is exploring a novel โขapproach: notโข eliminating allergy-causing proteins, but altering their structure to render them unrecognizableโ to the immune system.
The concept, as explained by Dr. Eidem, โคis akin to changing the form of an origami creation. “If โyour immune system is used to a swan and you โunfold the protein so itโ no longer looks like a swan, you won’t mount an allergic response,” she stated. This led the team to investigate the โpotential of ultraviolet (UV) โlight.
UV light is already utilized for disinfection โฃin settings like hospitals and airports, typically โemploying a โฃstrong โค254-nanometer wavelength that necessitatesโฃ protectiveโ gear for operators. However, Dr.Eidem and her colleagues focused on a less intense wavelength – 222 nanometers – wich โis considered safe forโข use in occupied rooms as it doesn’t deeply penetrate cells.While acknowledging potential risks like ozone โproduction,which can be harmful if inhaled,the researchers emphasize theโฃ need for restricted human exposure during operation.
In a controlled experiment, the team released allergens from common sourcesโ – dust mites, pet dander, mold, and pollenโ – intoโฃ a chamber. They then activated four lunchbox-sized UV222 lamps positioned onโ the โceiling and floor. Air samples wereโ tested at 10-minute intervals, revealingโ a reduction in immunorecognition; antibodies struggled to identify and bind toโข the treated proteins.
The researchers detailed their methodology, explaining that their “antibody-based immunoassayโฆrelies on โคintact protein conformation for antibody-allergen recognition, binding, and quantification.”โฃ
Results showed โขan average allergen level decrease โof 20 to 25% after 30 minutes,โ varying based on allergen type, exposure duration, andโ the medium in whichโข the allergen was suspendedโฃ (dust or droplets). Notably, exposure to UV light for โ40 minutes resulted inโฃ a 61% reduction of Fel d1, a major cat allergen, compared โto untreated air.
“Those are pretty rapid reductions โฃwhenโ you compare them to โmonths and months of cleaning, ripping up carpet, and bathing your cat,” Dr. Eidem remarked.
While UV222 lights are โฃcurrently primarily used in industrial applications, Dr. Eidem envisions a future where portable UV222 lights are accessible for personal use, perhaps benefiting individuals visiting allergy-triggering environments. โShe alsoโ highlighted the potential life-saving implications of this technology, noting that asthma attacks, often triggered byโค airborne allergies, claim approximately 10 lives โคdaily in the Unitedโ States. “Trying to develop new ways to prevent that exposure is really crucial,” she concluded.
