New vaccine for dust mite allergies shows promise

A promising new vaccine for dust mite allergies has demonstrated its potential in early laboratory tests.

Created by researchers at the University of Iowa, the vaccine is able to combat dust mite allergies by triggering and strengthening the body's immune response, using a boosting agent called CpG that has previously been successfully incorporated into cancer vaccines.

In animal tests, the nano-sized vaccine package was able to lower lung inflammation by 83 percent despite repeated exposure to the allergens over a period of nine days.

The team will continue to test the vaccine in the hope that it can eventually be used to treat human patients equally successfully.

Peter Thorne, public health professor at the University of Iowa and a contributing author on the paper, said: "Our research explores a novel approach to treating mite allergy in which specially-encapsulated miniscule particles are administered with sequences of bacterial DNA that direct the immune system to suppress allergic immune responses."

Dust mites measure only around one-quarter of a millimetre long, living off human skin scales and thriving in humid environments. They can be found in bedding, carpets, soft furnishings and clothing.