In medicine, desensitization is a method to reduce or eliminate an organism's negative reaction to a substance or stimulus. In pharmacology, ''drug desensitization'' refers to two related concepts. First, desensitization may be equivalent to drug tolerance and refers to subjects' reactions (positive or negative) to a drug reducing following its repeated use. This is a macroscopic, organism-level effect and differs from the second meaning of desensitization, which refers to a biochemical effect where individual

receptors Receptor may refer to: *Sensory receptor, in physiology, any structure which, on receiving environmental stimuli, produces an informative nerve impulse *Receptor (biochemistry), in biochemistry, a protein molecule that receives and responds to a n ...

become less responsive after repeated application of an agonist. This may be mediated by phosphorylation, for instance by

beta adrenoceptor kinase G-protein-coupled receptor kinase 2 (GRK2) is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ''ADRBK1'' gene. GRK2 was initially called Beta-adrenergic receptor kinase (βARK or βARK1), and is a member of the G protein-coupled receptor kinase subfam ...

at the beta adrenoceptor.

Application to allergies

For example, if a person with

diabetes mellitus Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

has a bad

allergic reaction Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic derma ...

to taking a full dose of beef insulin, the person is given a very small amount of the insulin at first, so small that the person has no adverse reaction or very limited symptoms as a result. Over a period of time, larger doses are given until the person is taking the full dose. This is one way to help the body get used to the full dose, and to avoid having the allergic reaction to beef-origin insulin. A temporary desensitization method involves the administration of small doses of an

allergen An allergen is a type of antigen that produces an abnormally vigorous immune response in which the immune system fights off a perceived threat that would otherwise be harmless to the body. Such reactions are called allergies. In technical terms ...

to produces an

IgE Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a type of antibody (or immunoglobulin (Ig) " isotype") that has been found only in mammals. IgE is synthesised by plasma cells. Monomers of IgE consist of two heavy chains (ε chain) and two light chains, with the ε c ...

-mediated response in a setting where an individual can be resuscitated in the event of anaphylaxis; this approach, through uncharacterized mechanisms, eventually overrides the

hypersensitive ''Hypersensitive'' is the second album by American rock band Ghost Machine. It was released on November 21, 2006 via Corporate Punishment Records. The original track listing of the album, displayed on sites like Amazon and AllMusic, was identic ...

response. Desensitization approaches for food

allergies Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, refer a number of conditions caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermat ...

are generally at the research stage. They include: * oral immunotherapy, which involves building up tolerance by eating a small amount of (usually baked) food; * sublingual immunotherapy, which involves placing a small drop of milk or egg white under the tongue; * epicutaneous immunotherapy, which injects the allergic food under the skin; *

monoclonal anti-IgE antibodies Omalizumab, sold under the brand name Xolair, is a medication used to treat asthma, nasal polyps, and urticaria (hives). Omalizumab is a recombinant DNA-derived humanized IgG1k monoclonal antibody that specifically binds to free human immunoglo ...

, which non-specifically reduce the body's capacity to produce an allergic reaction; * a Chinese herbal formulation, FAHF-2, another non-specific approach currently being studied in peanut allergy; * use of

probiotics Probiotics are live microorganisms promoted with claims that they provide health benefits when consumed, generally by improving or restoring the gut microbiota. Probiotics are considered generally safe to consume, but may cause bacteria- host i ...

; *

helminthic therapy Helminthic therapy, an experimental type of immunotherapy, is the treatment of autoimmune diseases and immune disorders by means of deliberate infestation with a helminth or with the eggs of a helminth. Helminths are parasitic worms such as hoo ...

; * a drug to suppress

toll-like receptor 9 Toll-like receptor 9 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''TLR9'' gene. TLR9 has also been designated as CD289 (cluster of differentiation 289). It is a member of the toll-like receptor (TLR) family. TLR9 is an important receptor expresse ...

(TLR9); and *

mepolizumab Mepolizumab, sold under the brand name Nucala, is a humanized monoclonal antibody used for the treatment of severe eosinophilic asthma, eosinophilic granulomatosis, and hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES). It recognizes and blocks interleukin-5 ( ...

to treat

eosinophilic esophagitis Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is an allergic inflammatory condition of the esophagus that involves eosinophils, a type of white blood cell. In healthy individuals, the esophagus is typically devoid of eosinophils. In EoE, eosinophils migrate ...

References

{{reflist Allergology

Application to allergies

See also

References