Hardcore Research: Advanced Immunology and Mite Pathogenesis

This section contains summaries of advanced scientific research focusing on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of allergic disease, the pathology of mite enzymes, and their role in chronic, severe, and non-allergic respiratory conditions.

Anaphylaxis and the house dust mite (HDM)

Explores why HDM allergic asthma is considered a major risk factor for systemic anaphylaxis, focusing on mast cell locations and IgE receptor activity.

Chronic asthma, a worrying update

Discusses the emergence of non-allergic (neutrophilic) asthma and the role of the Der p1 enzyme in damaging regulators designed to suppress harm caused by elastase.

COPD in non-smokers - a population larger than realized

Reviews the significant percentage of COPD patients who have never smoked and links the disease to non-tobacco risk factors, including poorly controlled asthma.

COVID and the House Dust Mite, a dangerous or deadly combination?

Examines the synergy between house dust mite allergens and coronaviruses, linking this interaction to increased risk of hospitalization for asthmatics.

IgG4 responses to HDM allergens and bacteria

Investigates how the immune system produces antigen/allergen specific IgG4 antibodies in response to combined exposure from mite allergens and bacterial endotoxins (*H. influenzae*).

Lungs, self cleaning described

Details the natural defense mechanisms of the human lung, from mucociliary clearance to alveolar macrophages, and how mite allergens can bypass these systems.

Mucus production in dust mite-related asthma explained

Explores the molecular signaling pathways (IL-13, ClCA1 genes) in airway epithelial cells that drive excessive mucus production in both asthma and COPD.

Natural course of house dust mite allergy

Dr. Thomas A E Platts-Mills reviews how high-titer IgE antibodies develop and why mite particles are a uniquely effective immunogen for perennial allergies.

Parasites and Allergy

A review of the Der p1 enzyme's destructive pathways, showing how it acts like a parasitic invasion by 'clipping off' sensitive immune cell receptors.

House Dust Mite (HDM) allergy and eye disease

Describes how HDM allergens contribute to allergic eye inflammation (conjunctivitis) and the mechanisms the eye uses to protect its surface.

Research links asthma, hookworms and dust mites in lung disease

Details the discovery of the nuocyte cell and the IL-13 pathway, linking immune responses to mites with that of parasitic hookworm infections.

Scientific review of the multi-faceted dendritic cell influence in asthma

Examines the critical role of Dendritic Cells (DC) as immune sentinels in the lung and how IgE levels can impair their antiviral responses.

Th17 cells: a new T lymphocyte and its roll in asthma.

Introduces the Th17 regulator and its role in activating neutrophils, a key mechanism in understanding 'difficult-to-control' (steroid-resistant) asthma.

The biology of the house dust mite

A historical and biological review of the mite's 400-million-year history, digestive system, and its unique water-dependent lifestyle.

The enzymatic activity of a mite allergen (Der p1)

Dr. Matthew J. Colloff describes how the peptidase enzyme activity of Der p1 directly digests structural and immune proteins, contributing to its clinical importance.

What other 'events' make mites more harmful

Examines how pre-existing damage to the lungs (from viral infections, smoke, or ozone) renders the tissue ultra-sensitive, amplifying reactions to mite allergens.