Inactivation of Indoor Environmental Allergy-Related Substances by Ozone Gas in a Small Chamber

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Inactivation of Indoor Environmental Allergy-Related Substances by Ozone Gas in a Small Chamber

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https://doi.org/10.54963/ti.v10i1.1341
Yoshinobu Murakami, Yukio Tobi, Kota Emura, Kimiye Baba, Masahiko Taniguchi, & Fukumi Furukawa. (2026). Inactivation of Indoor Environmental Allergy-Related Substances by Ozone Gas in a Small Chamber. Trends in Immunotherapy, 10(1), 86–94. https://doi.org/10.54963/ti.v10i1.1341
Volume 10, Issue 1 (March 2026): In Progress
Copyright (c) 2026 Yoshinobu Murakami, Yukio Tobi, Kota Emura, Kimiye Baba, Masahiko Taniguchi, Fukumi Furukawa
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Authors

  • Yoshinobu Murakami

    Department of Aesthetics and Health Sciences, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
    Department of Natural Products Research, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1 Nasahara, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-1094, Japan
  • Yukio Tobi

    Haier Asia R&D Co., Ltd., 404-2 Oyabu-cho, Kuze, Minami-ku, Kyoto 601-8206, Japan
  • Kota Emura

    Haier Asia R&D Co., Ltd., 404-2 Oyabu-cho, Kuze, Minami-ku, Kyoto 601-8206, Japan
  • Kimiye Baba

    Department of Natural Products Research, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1 Nasahara, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-1094, Japan
  • Masahiko Taniguchi

    Department of Natural Products Research, Faculty of Pharmacy, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 4-20-1 Nasahara, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-1094, Japan
  • Fukumi Furukawa

    Takatsuki Red Cross Hospital, 1-1-1 Abuno, Takatsuki, Osaka 569-1096, Japan
    Department of Forensic Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan

Received: 23 June 2025; Revised: 30 June 2025; Accepted: 16 July 2025; Published: 19 January 2026

Allergic diseases are increasingly recognized as a worldwide public health problem, affecting countries at all levels of economic growth. In recent years, it has been proposed that allergic diseases result from excessive type 2 inflammation, which is driven by cooperative interactions between the innate and acquired immune systems. In this model, allergens, pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), and proteases would all be considered allergen-associated substances.  In this study, the Japanese ceder allergen Cry j1 and the house dust mite (HDM) allergen Der f1 were selected as representative allergens; lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from Staphylococcus aureus as a PAMP; and V8 protease (V8) from S. aureus, fungal Alternaria extract (Alt), and HDM fecal extract Dff as proteases. The effects of ozone gas on these substances were investigated in terms of allergenicity, proinflammatory activity via innate immunity, and protease activity. Ozone gas inactivated the allergenicity of both Cry j1 and Der f1, and the protease activities of V8, Alt, and Dff, in a CT value (the product of concentration [C] and exposure time [T])-dependent manner. The proinflammatory activity of LTA via innate immunity was significantly inactivated after ozone exposure (301 ppm·min). Although this study was carried out in a small chamber at the basic research level, the results suggest that ozone gas can inactivate indoor allergy-related substances and may help alleviate allergic symptoms. With appropriate safety measures, such as using it in a closed system, this technology has great potential for practical application to allergy management.

Keywords:

Allergen Protease Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns (PAMPs) CT-Value

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