Crystal structure of the major house dust mite allergen, Der f2
Scientists found that, by first creating and then refolding a crystallized structure of a major mite allergen Der f1, they could manipulate the human immune response from a Th2 to Th1; that is, from the allergic to non-allergic immune signalling. This alteration in the folding of Der f1 took place without changing the allergen’s amino acid sequence This ground breaking research may lead to novel drug strategies in treating patients with allergic disease caused by exposure to the house dust mite Dermatophagoides farinae.
‘Crystal structure and some properties of a major house dust mite allergen, Der f2’ Masashi Suzuki, Yoshimasa Tanaka, Seigo Korematsu, Bunzo Mikami, Nagahiro Minato. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communication 339, (2006) 679-686.
