Development of Allergen Denaturing Agents

The origin of the word “allergy” is in the Greek words “allos” (strange) and “ergon” (reaction), and it is a concept that was proposed in 1906. Atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and other diseases that are caused by allergies have recently become major problems. The various allergens that exist in the environment are causes of these allergic diseases. There are many types of allergens, including food allergens such as wheat, eggs and buckwheat, inhalant allergens such as the feces and corpses of mites, pollen, fungi and pet dandruff, and contact allergens such as metals and various chemical substances. Of these, the ones that cause allergy symptoms such as allergic rhinitis are the inhalant allergens, and typical ones are the mite allergens and pollen allergens that are largely contained in the dust in houses (Table 1). In houses in particular, allergens from house dust mites are major problems.1), 2) In addition, many types of pollen, starting with cedar pollen which flies around in large amounts at the beginning of spring, are allergens that cause the onset of allergic rhinitis, and there are many people who suffer from pollen allergies.3) In addition, besides mite allergens and pollen allergens, dandruff and hair from pets such as dogs and cats, and cockroaches and fungi are also known to be allergens.4) Many allergens such as these exist in the environment we live in, and in order to reduce the onset of allergic diseases, it is important to know the amount of allergens present in our living environment and also to reduce that amount. Sumika Enviro-Science has developed Mitey Checker® as a simple method for determining the quantity of mite allergens, and it is used as a monitoring kit in schools and other places.5) Mitey Checker® is an application of an antigen-antibody reaction using monoclonal antibodies of mites. In general, enzymelinked immunosorbent assays, which use the same antigen-antibody reactions, are used as methods for the measurement of allergens, and they are used not only for mite allergens but also for cedar pollen and other allergens. On the other hand, Sumika Enviro-Science has carried out research on chemical agents (allergen denaturing agents) that reduce the allergenic nature of allergens in the environment using these immunological techniques and have found various chemical compounds to have these effects. In this paper, I will report on allergens and methods for measuring them, and further, on the development of allergen denaturing agents. Development of Allergen Denaturing Agents Sumika Enviro-Science Co.,Ltd. R&D and Technical Division Specialty Chemicals Technical Department Keiichiro INUI