ARTICLE | Targets & Mechanisms
Pseudo-allergy exposed
One receptor could help screen out allergy-inducing compounds during discovery
January 22, 2015 8:00 AM UTC
The perpetual worry for clinicians in administering injectable drugs is the chance they will induce allergic-type reactions either at the site of injection, or systemically if given during surgery. The problem turns out to be related to a single receptor, according to findings from a group at Johns Hopkins University that showed the mast cell protein MRGPRX2 triggers histamine release in response to a range of drugs.
The academics have partnered with GlaxoSmithKline plc to develop an allergy antidote. But the team also wants to leverage the discovery to create a screen for predicting adverse drug reactions in preclinical testing, and is looking for partners to advance the platform...