Some hairy cells in the nose may triggersneezing and allergies to dust mites, mold and other substances, new work withmice suggests.

When exposed to allergens, these brushcells make chemicals that lead to inflammation, researchers report January17 in Science Immunology. Only immunecells previously were thought to make such inflammatory chemicals fattycompounds known as lipids. The findings may provide new clues about how peopledevelop allergies.

Brush cells are shaped like teardropstopped by tufts of hairlike projections. In people, mice and other animals, thesecells are also found in the linings of the trachea and the intestines, wherethey are known as tuftcells (SN: 4/13/18). However, brushcells are far more common in the nose than in other tissues, and may help thebody identify when pathogens or noxious chemicals have been inhaled, says LoraBankova, an allergist and immunologist at Brigham and Womens Hospital inBoston.

Bankova and her colleagues discoveredthat, when exposed to certain molds or dust mite proteins, brush cells inmices noses churn out inflammation-producing lipids, called cysteinylleukotrienes. The cells also made the lipids when encountering ATP, a chemical usedby cells for energy that also signals when nearby cells are damaged, as in aninfection. Mice exposed to allergens or ATP developed swelling of their nasaltissues. But mice that lacked brush cells suffered much less inflammation.

Such inflammation may lead to allergiesin some cases. The researchers havent yet confirmed that brush cells in humannoses respond to allergens in the same way as these cells do in mice.

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Hairy cells in the nose called brush cells may be involved in causing allergies - Science News