05 Feb 2024 --- Japan-based researchers shed new light on how short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) — produced from dietary fiber by gut bacteria — regulate the immune system by interacting with mast cells. This white blood cell type plays a central role in allergic reactions. The team notes that its insights could lead to innovative and effective anti-allergy medications, supplements and diets. Mast cells are loaded with granules — tiny sacs of enzymes and signaling molecules, such as histamine. When a mast cell detects an antigen, it activates and undergoes degranulation, releasing these substances to nearby tissue to trigger a fast immune response. The cells also play a central role in allergic diseases, such as pollinosis — an oral allergy syndrome caused by allergens found in pollen and food — and severe food allergies.
