Scientists are working on a potential vaccine that would help those who are allergic to cats.
It’s called HypoCat, and it could be ready in three years, WIS-TV reports.
The vaccine is being developed by scientists in Switzerland. It would be given to cats to reduce the amount of a particular protein, the Fel d 1 allergen, that they secrete.
Fel d 1 is found in cat dander. About 10% of the Western population is allergic to the protein.
The scientists explained in a recent study report: “Currently, there is no efficient and safe therapy for cat allergy available. Allergic patients usually try to avoid cats or treat their allergy symptoms.”
In the study, the vaccine “vaccine was well tolerated and had no overt toxic effect.”
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The researchers stated: “Both human subjects and animals could profit from this treatment because allergic cat owners would reduce their risk of developing chronic diseases, such as asthma, and become more tolerant of their cats, which therefore could stay in the households and not need to be relinquished to animal shelters.”
The research appeared in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
