Science & technology | Well informed
科学与技术 | 知之为知之
Illustration: Cristina Spanò
Jul 25th 2025 | 3 min read
ALLERGIES Are on the rise. Every year more people clog up in springtime or succumb to itchy eyes in the presence of pets. In America the share of children with food allergies rose from 3.4% in 1997 to 5.8% in 2021, and there were similar increases elsewhere. But treatments allowing people to manage their allergies—even the most dangerous ones—are becoming increasingly effective, accessible and safe.
过敏越来越普遍了。每年春季，越来越多的人鼻塞不通，或者在接触宠物时眼睛发痒。在美国，患有食物过敏的儿童比例从1997年的3.4%上升到2021年的5.8%，其他地区也出现了类似的增长。但好消息是，哪怕是最凶险的过敏，抗过敏治疗方法也越来越有效、越来越普及、越来越安全。
Allergies arise when the immune system gets confused. Normally tasked with protecting the body from pathogens, in people with allergies it also reacts to harmless irritants, or allergens. In overactive immune systems, proteins responsible for recognising dangerous invading parasites, known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, start to become sensitive to allergens, too.
过敏其实就是免疫系统“抽风”。正常来说，免疫系统的任务是保护身体免受病原体侵害，但在过敏患者身上，它开始对无害的刺激物（即过敏原）产生免疫反应。过度活跃的免疫系统中，本来负责识别侵入病菌的免疫球蛋白E（IgE）抗体，对过敏原也会产生反应。
This can cause them to raise the alarm each time they come into contact with the allergen, which prompts the body to produce a signalling chemical known as histamine. When the body is under threat from a parasite, histamine can help expel it by producing mucus and provoking coughing. But for people with allergies, the response can go overboard, causing allergic symptoms such as wheezing and hives. In the worst case, histamine can provoke a whole-body reaction known as anaphylactic shock, which can block the airways and cause suffocation.
于是，每次接触过敏原，它们都会拉响免疫警报，人体就会产生组织胺这种化学传导物质。如果人体受到病菌侵害，组织胺能促进产生黏液、引发咳嗽，帮助人体排出病菌。但过敏患者的这种免疫反应可能会过度，导致呼吸不畅和荨麻疹等过敏症状。最严重的情况下，组胺可能引发全身性免疫反应，也就是过敏性休克，呼吸道会被阻塞，甚至导致窒息。
Desensitisation is possible. A family of treatments known as immunotherapies work by repeatedly exposing the body to tiny and gradually increasing amounts of allergen. For common allergens, such as pollen and dust mites, immunotherapy—in the form of drops, shots or tablets—is now common, and highly effective for most people.
脱敏也不是没可能。比如免疫疗法，通过反复接触极少量且逐渐增加的过敏原，帮助过敏患者脱敏。对于常见过敏原，如花粉和尘螨，免疫疗法已经很普遍了，常见的方式是滴剂、注射剂或片剂，而且对大多数人来说非常有效。
Progress has been slower for food allergies, in part because they carry a higher risk of anaphylaxis. The outlook has started to brighten. In 2020 America’s Food and Drug Administration approved the first oral immunotherapy for children with peanut allergy, a powder containing peanut protein. Children who take the powder with food react less, but the increased dosage must be given under medical supervision to avoid reactions and children should still follow a strict peanut-free diet.
但治疗食物过敏的进展就比较缓慢了，因为食物过敏引发过敏性休克的风险更高。不过，未来初现乐观曙光。2020年，美国食品药品监督管理局批准了首个花生过敏口服免疫疗法，是一种含有花生蛋白的粉末。结果显示，过敏患儿服用这种粉末后，对花生的过敏反应减轻了，但增加剂量时必须有医生监督，避免过敏反应发生危险，而且患儿还是需要遵循严格的无花生饮食。
Options that could allow patients to increase their tolerance more safely are on their way. Companies are developing immunotherapies based on small fragments of allergen proteins called peptides. These seem to increase tolerance to the allergens without setting off harmful immune reactions.
有一些新的疗法正在研发之中，有望让患者更安全地增强耐受性。不少公司正在开发基于胜肽的免疫疗法，把传统疗法中的过敏原替换成过敏原蛋白片段。这些疗法似乎能增强对过敏原的耐受性，同时又不会触发有害的免疫反应。
Another avenue is blocking IgE antibodies. In a trial in 2024, 79 of 118 people with allergies to several foods were able to ingest 600mg of their allergens after taking a monoclonal antibody called omalizumab for 16 to 20 weeks, compared with only five of the 59 participants in the control group. As patients must keep taking omalizumab to feel its effects, some researchers hope to prescribe it to patients while building their tolerance through regular or peptide immunotherapy.
另一条路径是阻断IgE抗体。2024年的一项试验中，118名对不同食物过敏的人服用奥马珠单抗（omalizumab）16至20周后，有79人能够摄入600毫克的过敏原，而对照组的59名被试只有5人可以。由于患者必须持续服用奥马珠单抗才有效果，研究人员希望在通过传统或胜肽免疫疗法建立耐受性的同时，给患者开奥马珠单抗服用。
The burst of innovation is particularly good news for allergic adults. Because the immune system becomes less flexible with age, adults are harder to treat than children and are often excluded from immunotherapy trials. This, too, is changing. The omalizumab trial from 2024 included a small number of adults, and in April an adult-only trial showed that standard oral immunotherapy, done carefully over months, could build patients up to a dose of four daily peanuts. ■
创新浪潮对成年的过敏患者而言尤其是个好消息。由于随年龄增长，免疫系统会变得不那么灵活，成人往往比儿童更难治疗，也常被排除在免疫疗法试验之外。但这种情况也在改变。2024年的奥马珠单抗试验就纳入了一些成人，今年4月一项专门针对成人的试验表明，通过几个月谨慎进行的标准口服免疫疗法，患者能够耐受相当于每天4颗花生的摄入剂量。■
文章精读
单词短语
精读精讲——单词短语
threshold
n. the level of point at which you start to experience something, or at which something starts to happen 阈值，界限；七点
e.g. I have a low boredom threshold (=i do feel bored easily.)
我很容易感到厌倦。
aerobically
adv. in an aerobic manner: "with oxygen" or relating to processes that require the presence of free oxygen to occur. 有氧地，需氧地
（形容词形式为aerobic）
e.g. When you work out aerobically, your body burns calories (and fat) in three specific ways.
taper
v. (shape or form) to become progressively smaller or narrower at one end.
e.g. The spire of the building tapers to a point.
v. (athletics and training) to gradually reduce the volume or intensity of a workout routine before a major competition (like a marathon) to allow the body to rest.
e.g. Runners typically taper their mileage in the final two weeks before the race day.
v. (finance and economics) a gradual reduction in the amount of stimulus or central bank actions (like quantitative easing) provided to the economy,
e.g. The Federal Reserve’s decision to taper its bond-buying program caused ripples in the stock market.
v. (healthcare) the act of slowly and gradually reducing a medication or dosage rather than stopping abruptly (”cold turkey”) to safely wean the body off it.
e.g. It is important to taper antidepressants to avoid withdrawal symptoms.
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