For the first time in history, Purina scientists demonstrated a proactive way to significantly reduce the active levels of the major cat allergen, Fel d 1, at its source in cats’ saliva. As many as one in five adults worldwide are sensitized to cat allergens. Avoiding cats is a cornerstone of managing allergens, an approach that may leave cats looking for a new home.
Taking advantage of natural allergen-antibody interactions, Purina researchers discovered how to safely neutralize Fel d 1 in hair and dander by incorporating an egg product containing anti-Fel d 1 antibodies into a cat’s diet. Ultimately this will reduce active Fel d 1 levels in the environment. This approach maintains normal allergen production by the cat, without affecting the cat’s overall physiology. New scientific findings demonstrate significant improvement in allergy symptoms in cat allergen-sensitised individuals when their cats were fed a complete and balanced dry cat food coated with anti-Fel d 1 antibodies.
All cats produce Fel d 1 – regardless of breed, age, hair length, hair color, sex, or body weight. Up to 95 percent of reactions in cat allergen-sensitive people are caused by Fel d 1. Produced primarily in cats’ salivary and sebaceous glands, Fel d 1 is transferred to a cat’s hair and skin during grooming, then dispersed in the environment via hair and dander (dried flakes of skin). A response in people sensitized to Fel d 1 occurs when the allergen comes into contact with the individual and then binds with specialized immune defense proteins in their body.
“These allergens have created a huge barrier to cat ownership and may limit the loving interactions between cat lovers and cats,” says immunologist Dr Ebenezer Satyaraj, Director of Molecular Nutrition at Purina and lead investigator on the research. “This discovery has the potential to transform how people manage cat allergens.”
The prevalence of allergy to furry animals has been increasing. Allergy to cats is a major risk factor for development of asthma and rhinitis. The human-animal bond is normally very strong in owners allergic to cats and many allergic patients try to keep their cat despite experiencing symptoms. Allergen avoidance is effective but often has psychological impact. Allergen immunotherapy is not well demonstrated. As a consequence, there is a need for innovative approaches to better manage cat allergy.
A groundbreaking research was introduced by Purina scientists in 2019, spanning more than a decade, and demonstrating the efficacy of a dry cat food coated with antibodies (IgY) against Fel d 1, the major cat allergen, for reducing allergenic Fel d 1 in cats’ saliva, and on their hair as well as improving some clinical symptoms in human subjects.
A recently published study, using a MASK-air (Mobile Airways Sentinel network) that is a mobile health app that assess the daily control of allergic rhinitis and asthma as one of the 13 Best Practices of Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development in integrated care for chronic diseases. It has demonstrated the clinical efficacy of this cat diet in cat-allergic humans in a home setting. All patients had rhinitis and more than half had asthma. The introduction of this cat diet containing anti-Fel d1 antibodies was able to strongly decrease all allergic symptoms and reduce the impact of allergic symptoms on work productivity with an improvement in nose, eye and asthma symptom levels being observed after 1 month of follow-up.
The findings of this proof-of-concept study demonstrate significant improvement in allergy symptoms in cat allergen-sensitized individuals when their cats were fed a complete and balanced dry cat food coated with anti-Fel d 1 antibodies. As part of a comprehensive allergen management plan, this safe and proven approach can help reduce the negative effects of cat allergens for cat-allergic people who share their homes with cats. As more results become available, the Purina Institute, an organization which serves as the global voice of Purina’s scientific communications, will share that information. For more information about this research and the Purina Institute, please visit the Purina website.
