Why do people have allergies? Are they proliferating? Do they have a genetic component? Can they be cured? These were just some of the questions posed at the third Science Café on Immunology organized by the Catalan Society of Immunology in collaboration with Dr. Antonio Esteve Foundation and a team of young researchers BIOcomuniCA’T.

An allergy is hypersensitivity to a specific substance when it enters the body and causes the immune system to act and produce large amounts of histamine and antibodies called IgE, causing the typical symptoms of allergic reactions. In this Science Café, attendees discussed what are allergies, the factors that may aggravate them and the treatments available.

To address these issues, the meeting included the following experts:

Dra. Mariona Pascal
Immunology Department-CBD, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona

Dr. Joan Bartra
Allergy Unit, Service of Pneumology and Respiratory Allergy, Hospital Clínic, Barcelona

Dr. Moisés Labrador
Allergy Department, Hospital Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona

The Science Café on Allergies, open to the public, took place o April 19th, 2012, at the El Foro Restaurant in Barcelona. All attendees received a copy of the book Els misteris immunitari system. Com protegeix the nostre cos (The mysterious immune system. How it protects us).