The findings from a Cornell study of Icelandic horses support the idea that early exposure to an allergen* can prime an individual’s immune system to tolerate it and not become allergic later in life. The study results were published on October 21st in Frontiers in Immunology <Link>.
Source: Paulick Report, December 11, 2025. Link.
Training of the immune system to develop tolerance against allergens early in life creates a specific ability to adjust to those allergens and recognize them as harmless . . . the earlier it happens, the more successful it is.” – Bettina Wagner, DVM, PhD
* The scientists used a horse model of an allergy called Culicoides hypersensitivity. Culicoides hypersensitivity is a seasonal, recurrent, IgE-mediated allergy caused by the salivary proteins of biting Culicoides midges, often called sweet itch.
INSIGHTS: Sweet itch is thought to be caused by a type-1 hypersensitivity reaction to the bite of the Culicoides midges <Link>.