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Scientists at Johns Hopkins and their colleagues(1) have developed sugar-coated(2) polymer strands(3) that selectively(4) kill off(5) cells(6) involved in(7) triggering(8) aggressive(9) allergy(10) and asthma(11) attacks(12). Their advance(13) is a significant step toward(14) crafting(15) pharmaceuticals(16) to fight these often life-endangering(17) conditions in a new way.

For more than a decade, a team led by Bruce S. Bochner, M.D.(18), director of the Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology(19) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, has studied a unique protein(20) known as Siglec-8(21). This protein, whose name is an acronym(22) for Sialic Acid-binding, Immunoglobulin-like LECtin(23) number 8, is present on the surfaces of a few types of immune cells(24), including eosinophils(25), basophils(26) and mast cells(27). These different cell types have diverse(28) but cooperative(29) roles in normal immune function(30) and allergic diseases(31). When functioning correctly, they are a valuable aid to(32) keeping the body healthy and infection-free(33). However, in allergic reactions(34) and asthma attacks, the cells unleash(35) an overwhelming(36) response that typically(37) harms the body more than it helps.

The researchers(38) found in previous studies that when they bound antibodies(39) that specifically(40) target Siglec-8 to the protein on eosinophils, the cells promptly(41) died, an effect that might be useful in stemming(42) an allergy or asthma attack. Since producing antibodies can be expensive -- a potential roadblock to(43) using them as pharmaceuticals in the future -- the researchers sought another way to activate(44) this protein.