Present Technology
The Allergy treatments used today range from very simple and free, to very complicated and expensive. These treatments also depend on the allergy. If you have food allergies such as the peanut allergy, the simplest way to cure that is to just stay away from peanuts. If you on the other hand are allergic to something like pollen where you can't effectively stay away from it, there is an allergy treatment called antihistamine that should fix those problems. Antihistamine comes in many different forms, shapes, and sizes. It can be taken as a pill, herbs, or an inhaler. The goal of the medications is to stop the histamine from causing the allergic reactions. One type of antihistamine is a non- sedating antihistamine. These are a special type of antihistamines that does not make people with allergies sleepy. Non-sedating antihistamines were invented in the 1980s. The first one in the US was terfenadine. (This drug was removed from the market shortly afterwards because it caused severe health issues.) All second generation antihistamines, current antihistamines, are non-sedating. The second generation antihistamines are much more effective at reducing the swelling of allergies and the drowsiness of first generation antihistamines, but . Some non-sedating antihistamine medications are desloratadine(aka. Clarinex), loratadine (aka. Claritin), and fexofenadine(aka. Allegra). These are brand names that most of us know from commercials, so there are many people out there taking non sedating antihistamines.
Another currently existing allergy treatment focuses on asthma. It is called a bronchodilator. The bronchodilator dilates, or relaxes the constricted bronchi caused by the release of histamine and other substances. Those substances are released under the influence of anaphylotoxins or fragments that are produced as part of the activation of the complement system. The bronchodilator decreases the resistance in the airway therefore letting more oxygen into the lungs. It relaxes the smooth muscles and enlarges the airways. . There are two main different types of bronchodilators. There are some that are used for a short-term quick reliever, and there are others used for a long term fix. The short-term type start to work in 5-10 and keep working for about 3-4 hours. The long term types start after about 20 minutes and work for as long as 10-12 hours. The testing of the bronchodilator began in the late1950s. It was invented in 1957 to act as a quick reliever of asthma. It releases a short puff of medication that enlarges the airways allowing more oxygen to come through. That medication was made to ease the muscles of the bronchial tubes and to make them wider. One type of bronchodilator attaches to the receptors on the surface of the smooth muscle called Beta-2 adrenergic receptors. Those receptors trigger the smooth muscle relaxation and the opening of the bronchial tubes. Another type simply blocks the proteins that are involved in reversing the job of the Beta-2 adrenergic receptors. The anticholinergic drugs in this bronchodilator block the effects of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter found in the peripheral and central nervous system. It plays a part in bronchoconstriction. Even though they both work to relax the muscles, they do not completely relieve the asthma symptoms. The bronchial tubes are also clogged with mucus made by the mucus secreting cells lining the respiratory tract. After the airways are opened more, they still are not cleared. To obtain completely clear and comfortable breath, other medications and steroids must be taken. However, since the bronchial tubes had been recently expanded by the beta-2 agonist, it is easier to get rid of the mucus by coughing it up. The beta-2 agonist affects more than just the bronchial tubes. It also can affect the beta-1 receptors that do not exactly always react in a positive way. That interaction can sometimes cause side effects. Some of the side effects caused by this include nausea, diarrhea, headaches, changes in the heartbeat, nervousness, cramping muscles, and hyperactivity. There are also more severe side effects that include chest pain or discomfort, sudden bruising, unfocused vision, and the hands or feet going numb.
Another present technology is something called genetic modification. Genetic modification is the altering of the genetic material in any way that could not occur naturally. There are three known ways of going about genetic modification. The first is: transferring genes from one organism to another organism. The second is: moving, deleting, or modifying genes in a living organism. The third is modifying existing genes or making new ones and incorporating them into a new organism. The genetic term for genetic modification in humans is gene therapy. Our invention, being a protein would need to be as natural, or organic, as possible. Therefore, if there were a way to manipulate genes to make our protein, that way would be the best choice of creating such a protein. Our invention falls possibly into the second and third ways of genetic modification. Gene therapy, which is genetic modification in humans, have more approaches being tested such as: 1. Replacing a mutated gene with a healthy copy. 2. knocking out a mutated gene. 3. introducing a new gene to the body to fight disease. Gene therapy is hypothesized to be used to cure the uncurable. Genetic modification is really the ability to alter a molecule. What it would do for our purpose is cure allergies and more specifically, asthma. A gene inserted directly into a cell will not function properly. Therefore, it must be carried by a genetically engineered carrier called a vector. Some viruses are used as vectors, and they insert the gene by infecting the cell. They are, of course, genetically modified so as not to harm the cell. Some viruses, such as the retrovirus integrate the gene into a human chromosome. Other viruses, like adenoviruses, introduce the genes to the nucleus of the cell, without integrating it into the chromosome. The vector can be injected, or transported by IV into person, where their cells take it up. Also, a sample of that person's cells can be taken and exposed to the vector in a laboratory. The cells are then returned to the patient. Gene therapy was discovered in the 1980s when a group of scientists were able to isolate specific genes from DNA. It was invented to help fight diseases that originally, did not have a cure known of.
Another currently existing allergy treatment focuses on asthma. It is called a bronchodilator. The bronchodilator dilates, or relaxes the constricted bronchi caused by the release of histamine and other substances. Those substances are released under the influence of anaphylotoxins or fragments that are produced as part of the activation of the complement system. The bronchodilator decreases the resistance in the airway therefore letting more oxygen into the lungs. It relaxes the smooth muscles and enlarges the airways. . There are two main different types of bronchodilators. There are some that are used for a short-term quick reliever, and there are others used for a long term fix. The short-term type start to work in 5-10 and keep working for about 3-4 hours. The long term types start after about 20 minutes and work for as long as 10-12 hours. The testing of the bronchodilator began in the late1950s. It was invented in 1957 to act as a quick reliever of asthma. It releases a short puff of medication that enlarges the airways allowing more oxygen to come through. That medication was made to ease the muscles of the bronchial tubes and to make them wider. One type of bronchodilator attaches to the receptors on the surface of the smooth muscle called Beta-2 adrenergic receptors. Those receptors trigger the smooth muscle relaxation and the opening of the bronchial tubes. Another type simply blocks the proteins that are involved in reversing the job of the Beta-2 adrenergic receptors. The anticholinergic drugs in this bronchodilator block the effects of acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter found in the peripheral and central nervous system. It plays a part in bronchoconstriction. Even though they both work to relax the muscles, they do not completely relieve the asthma symptoms. The bronchial tubes are also clogged with mucus made by the mucus secreting cells lining the respiratory tract. After the airways are opened more, they still are not cleared. To obtain completely clear and comfortable breath, other medications and steroids must be taken. However, since the bronchial tubes had been recently expanded by the beta-2 agonist, it is easier to get rid of the mucus by coughing it up. The beta-2 agonist affects more than just the bronchial tubes. It also can affect the beta-1 receptors that do not exactly always react in a positive way. That interaction can sometimes cause side effects. Some of the side effects caused by this include nausea, diarrhea, headaches, changes in the heartbeat, nervousness, cramping muscles, and hyperactivity. There are also more severe side effects that include chest pain or discomfort, sudden bruising, unfocused vision, and the hands or feet going numb.
Another present technology is something called genetic modification. Genetic modification is the altering of the genetic material in any way that could not occur naturally. There are three known ways of going about genetic modification. The first is: transferring genes from one organism to another organism. The second is: moving, deleting, or modifying genes in a living organism. The third is modifying existing genes or making new ones and incorporating them into a new organism. The genetic term for genetic modification in humans is gene therapy. Our invention, being a protein would need to be as natural, or organic, as possible. Therefore, if there were a way to manipulate genes to make our protein, that way would be the best choice of creating such a protein. Our invention falls possibly into the second and third ways of genetic modification. Gene therapy, which is genetic modification in humans, have more approaches being tested such as: 1. Replacing a mutated gene with a healthy copy. 2. knocking out a mutated gene. 3. introducing a new gene to the body to fight disease. Gene therapy is hypothesized to be used to cure the uncurable. Genetic modification is really the ability to alter a molecule. What it would do for our purpose is cure allergies and more specifically, asthma. A gene inserted directly into a cell will not function properly. Therefore, it must be carried by a genetically engineered carrier called a vector. Some viruses are used as vectors, and they insert the gene by infecting the cell. They are, of course, genetically modified so as not to harm the cell. Some viruses, such as the retrovirus integrate the gene into a human chromosome. Other viruses, like adenoviruses, introduce the genes to the nucleus of the cell, without integrating it into the chromosome. The vector can be injected, or transported by IV into person, where their cells take it up. Also, a sample of that person's cells can be taken and exposed to the vector in a laboratory. The cells are then returned to the patient. Gene therapy was discovered in the 1980s when a group of scientists were able to isolate specific genes from DNA. It was invented to help fight diseases that originally, did not have a cure known of.