Study Shows How Allergies Differ in Urban/Rural Areas

Scientists discovered that a previously uncharacterized subset of immune cells may play an important role in the development of allergy illnesses and explain disparities between urban and rural populations.

- CORRESPONDENT

The study sheds light on how the immune system develops in early life and why urban children are more prone to allergies than rural children.

Led by researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) Department of Pediatrics, including MD/PhD student Catherine Pizzarello and senior author Kirsi Jarvinen-Seppo, MD, PhD, the study uncovered a unique subpopulation of T cells known as helper 2 (Th2) cells with distinct molecular characteristics.

T-cells are the foundational immune cells that fight off infections, but there is evidence that this specific subtype is recognizing certain foods as allergenic and attacking them, according to Jarvinen-Seppo.