Medical News Today -- If you’ve ever wondered why some allergic reactions progress quickly and may even become fatal, a new research report published in the February 2009 issue of the Journal of Leukocyte Biology (http://www.jleukbio.org) provides an important part of the answer. In the report, scientists from Queen’s University of Belfast, University of Oxford and Trinity College Dublin show for the first time that eotaxin, a chemical that helps immune cells locate the site of infection, blocks basic “fighter” cells from transforming into “seeker” dendritic cells, resulting in a heightened allergic response.
