A team of researchers at UCLA may have found a way to help cat lovers who are allergic to their pets. The study, which was published in Nature Magazine, involved the creation of a chemical compound that results in the elimination of the histamine reaction when an allergic person is exposed to cat fur, ending symptoms that included watery eyes, itching, and sneezing.

The new compound is comprised of a protein found in cat saliva – Feld1. This protein is then conjoined with a piece of human immunoglobulin, IgG Fcg1. Once these two elements are joined together, essentially, the body is “tricked” into recognizing the allergen but not reacting to it. The compound would be injected.

Of those allergic to cats, approximately 14 percent are children between the ages of 6 and 19.

The compound was tested on mice that were actually bred with a cat allergy. Dr. Andrew Saxon of the UCLA School of Medicine reported that once these mice were given the compound, all of the histamine reactions that are associated with cat allergy were completely blocked.

Dr. Saxon wrote, 'We measured more than 90 percent less histamine in the (human cell) cultures with GFD. Those results suggested that GFD successfully prevented the immune cells from reacting to cat allergen.”

The study was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Researchers are hopeful that this approach might be applicable to a variety of allergies.