For the first time, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have identified genetic components of dendritic cells that are key to asthma and allergy-related immune response malfunction. Targeting these elements could result in more effective drugs to treat allergic disorders and asthma, according to a study reported in the May edition of the journal Nature Medicine.

The House of Lords will on Thursday 8 May debate the Science and Technology Committee's report on Allergy which was published in September last year. The Government responded to the report in November and accepted many of the Committee's recommendations. The debate will give the Committee the opportunity to question the Government on how far they have got in implementing these recommendations.

For millions of Americans with allergies and asthma, summer travel concerns extend far beyond rising gas prices and airline security waits.The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) estimates that more than 20 million Americans have asthma and 50 million have allergies. Those traveling this summer will face unique challenges."Vacations bring people outdoors to explore new sights or enjoy the weather.

May is National Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month, and Carpenter Co., a leader in sleep technologies and the world's largest producer of comfort cushion products, offers relief for the more than 60 million Americans who suffer from these ailments. The company's innovative SlumberFresh™ pillow is filled with RELY™ fiber, which protects the pillow and mattress pad against known allergens such as mold, mildew, fungus and the odors they cause.

Some form of immunotherapy is expected to be available for peanut allergy within the next five years. But the reasons for the increasing prevalence of this allergic reaction remain unclear. The issues are discussed by Professor Wesley Burks, Duke University Medical Center, NC, USA, in a Seminar in this week's edition of The Lancet.