Researchers have uncovered a likely origin of our allergies

 While bacteria and viruses set off immediate alarm in our immune system, allergies follow a different path.

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4 min

By Michael Eisenstein

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, a move to a far-flung location can deliver a reprieve from the pollens and molds that caused you torment. But in many cases, it’s only a matter of time before this new environment’s changing seasons elicit itchy eyes and a runny nose. Researchers have uncovered a probable origin story for emerging and reemerging allergies.

Exposure to bacteria or viruses typically sets off immediate alarm bells in the immune system, provoking a response to repel the infectious intruder. Allergies arise through a distinct branch of the immune system and unfold differently, according to immunologist Caroline Sokol, who wrote the paper along with postdoctoral fellow Xueping Zhu at the Ragon Institute of Mass General Brigham, MIT and Harvard University, and other scientists. In this context, repeated exposure over time to small amounts of a particular allergen gradually develops into a full-blown allergy.

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