Discovery of Feline Protein Could Help Create New Treatments for Allergy Sufferers

It's quite a sad story when we love our furry felines but just can't be around them because...well, we're allergic.

Studies show that about 10 percent of the U.S. population is allergic to cats, and cat allergies are twice as common as dog ones. What happens with all the wheezing and couching that comes from being around your pet is that you're actually allergic to a protein in the cat's saliva, urine and dander.

Researchers at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom have found out what may be causing the extreme immune reaction in those with pet allergies. 

The study found that cat allergen Fel d 1 boosts an immune receptor similar to allergic responses in dust mites, according to a press release.

Lead study author Dr. Clare Bryant from Cambridge's Department of Veterinary Medicine said she believes that the discovery of this allergen could help open doors for new treatments with both dog and cat allergy sufferers.

"We've discovered how the cat allergy proteins activate the host immune cells," she said, via the Daily Mail. "By understanding the triggering mechanism, there are now drugs that have been designed that are in clinical trials for other conditions, such as sepsis, that could potentially then be used in a different way to treat cat allergy and to prevent cat allergy."

More information regarding the study can be found in the Journal of Immunology.