CUHK Team Reveals Novel Cockroach Allergens, Helps Develop Precision Immunotherapy

CU Medicine’s research team unravels the world’s most comprehensive genome profile for the American cockroach and identifies seven novel cockroach allergens, laying important foundations for identifying and cloning major cockroach allergens and facilitating the design of effective immunotherapy for cockroach allergy. (L-R) Dr. Xiong Qing, Postdoctoral Fellow, and Professor Stephen Tsui, Professor, both in the School of Biomedical Sciences; and Professor Leung Ting-fan, Professor in the Department of Paediatrics; at CU Medicine. Sung Pi-Lung/The Epoch Times

Cockroach is the second most common allergen among Hongkongers suffering from allergic diseases such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and eczema, second only to dust mites. An international study led by The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) ’s Faculty of Medicine (CU Medicine) has unraveled the world’s most comprehensive genome profile for the American cockroach (Periplaneta Americana), the most common in Hong Kong and identifies seven novel cockroach allergens. The study will help design effective immunotherapy for cockroach allergy.

CUHK’s CU Medicine led the study in collaboration with universities in Shenzhen and Thailand. According to CUHK, among these allergic individuals, cockroaches account for 45 percent of the sensitization rate and are one of the most common triggers, second to dust mites. Cockroaches are also responsible for a higher risk of developing asthma and for higher morbidity in asthmatics.