Source: Panasonic
Headline: Panasonic clarifies the mechanism of cedar pollen allergen inactivation by gaseous hypochlorous acid
Osaka, Japan, February 28, 2025 – Panasonic Corporation today announced that its Heating & Ventilation A/C Company clarified the mechanism of cedar pollen allergen inactivation by gaseous hypochlorous acid, jointly with ITEA Inc., Institute of Tokyo Environmental Allergy.*2 This suggests that the same inactivation mechanism can also be applied to other protein-based allergens.
The prevalence of hay fever, a common allergic disease, has been increasing in Japan every year, with rates recorded at 19.6% in 1998, 29.8% in 2008, and 42.5% in 2019.*3 Cedar pollen allergens, to which approximately 90% of hay fever patients have an allergic reaction,*3 include Cry j 1 adhered to the surface of the pollen outer wall, and Cry j 2, which is present inside the pollen grain and is emitted when the outer wall is broken. It has been revealed that they are composed of proteins, similar to mold and mite allergens.
Since adopting the hypochlorous acid solution*4 for the hygiene maintenance system of cup-dispensing vending machines in 1987, Panasonic has been researching hypochlorous acid technology for approximately 40 years*5 and conducted various tests to verify bacterial and viral inhibition and deodorization. Although the company has verified that hypochlorous acid inactivates the Cry j 1 cedar pollen allergen, its mechanism had not yet been clarified.
During ongoing joint research, Panasonic exposed the Cry j 1 cedar pollen allergen to gaseous hypochlorous acid by using a dedicated device to verify whether changes in the amino acid sequences of proteins present in Cry j 1 would be observed. As a result, the random split of peptide bonds*6 formed between amino acids was confirmed. The company revealed that this phenomenon inactivated Cry j 1, and that the antigenicity causing allergy symptoms was no longer detected.
Regarding the current verification results, Director Masahiro Sakaguchi of the Institute of Tokyo Environmental Allergy, ITEA Inc., and Professor Emeritus at Azabu University, commented, “Based on the inactivation mechanism of the Cry j 1 cedar pollen allergen identified through current research, I infer that if other problematic indoor allergens are also composed of proteins, they will be inactivated by similar mechanisms. I believe that these verification efforts bear significant meaning for the future development of allergy-related research.”
Panasonic will engage in research on hypochlorous acid technology to create a space, where people can live with a sense of security and safety.
Notes:
*1: Substance causing allergy symptoms
*2: These verifications were conducted for basic research purposes and did not involve any products.
*3: Hay Fever Environmental Health Manual 2022, Ministry of the Environment (https://www.env.go.jp/chemi/anzen/kafun/2022_full.pdf) *Japanese only
*4: Solution made by electrolysis of salt water
*5: Including the SANYO Electric era
*6: Covalent bond formed by alpha-amino acids through dehydration and condensation