First Proof at a Cellular Level of nanoe™ (Hydroxyl Radicals Contained in Water) Technology's Ability to Suppress Allergic Reactions^*1

Osaka, Japan – Panasonic Corporation (https://holdings.panasonic/global/) today announced that it has proven at the cellular level that pollen^*2 inhibited by nanoe™ (Hydroxyl Radicals Contained in Water) results in suppression of allergic reactions. The research, which was the first attempt to prove the effect at a cellular level, was conducted jointly with Tomoki Fukuyama, D.V.M., Ph.D. Laboratory of Veterinary Pharmacology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University.

As of 2019 some 42.5% of Japanese people^*3 are believed to suffer from hay fever, with a rising rate of incidence among younger generations. Despite the increasing prevalence of this condition, effective treatments remain limited. So, the best way to deal with hay fever is to inhibit the allergens contained in the pollen before it enters the body.

Around 90% of hay fever sufferers in Japan are reacting to allergens in cedar pollen.^*3
Panasonic has conducted testing on the ability of nanoe™ technology to inhibit the antigenicity of the 13 main types of pollen in Japan, including cedar. But so far it could not clearly establish the effect of pollen with antigenicity suppressed by hydroxyl radicals contained in water to inhibit allergic reactions in vivo.

This time it used immune cells to test the inhibitory effect on allergic reactions. Pollen^*2 with antigenicity inhibited by exposure to nanoe™ was added to immune cells, to observe the reaction. As a result, excessive reaction of dendritic cells to the pollen^*2 was inhibited, confirming the suppressed production of inflammatory substances. The study further showed suppression of the reaction of T-cells to pollen that command the creation of the antibody that are the cause of hay fever symptoms, indicating that nanoe™ suppress allergy symptoms. The tests also identified the mechanism that suppresses the allergic reaction, so nanoe™ technology can also be expected to inhibit allergic symptoms caused by other allergens existing indoors. The results were obtained with the test conditions described below, and as such are not proof of effects in actual usage spaces.

Panasonic will continue to develop nanoe™ technology while pursuing its potential with the goal of contributing to society by providing safe and reassuring spaces.

• Pollen^*2 with antigenicity inhibited by exposure to nanoe™ was added to immune cells involved with inducing hay fever symptoms, to observe the reactions.
  (1)  Excessive reaction of dendritic cells to the pollen^*2 was inhibited, suppressing production of inflammatory substances by approximately 70%.
  (2)  The proliferation of T-cells that command the creation of the antibody that are the cause of hay fever symptoms was also suppressed by approximately 40%.
• nanoe™ were confirmed to suppress allergic reactions, suggesting that they suppress allergy symptoms.
• This is the first study to prove effects on immune cells, raising expectation toward the effectiveness of nanoe™ technology for measures to alleviate hay fever.

Figure 4: Proliferation activity of T-cells when pollen^*2 is added
Exposure of pollen^*2 to nanoe™ suppressed the reaction of T-cells to pollens

The following points were confirmed:

• nanoe™ inhibited the antigenicity of pollen^*2 to suppress the excessive reaction of dendritic cells to pollen^*2
• The expression of dendritic cell membrane antigens providing information about the pollen to T-cells was suppressed
• The production of inflammatory substances by dendritic cells was suppressed
• The reaction of T-cells to pollen that command the creation of the antibody that are the cause of hay fever symptoms was suppressed.

An atomizing electrode is cooled with a Peltier element to condense moisture from the air to create water. A high voltage charge is applied between the atomizing electrode and the opposing electrode to generate nanoe™ with a size of approximately 5 to 20 nanometers containing hydroxyl radicals. (Figure 5)

*1 The tests were performed with cedar pollen allergens with antigenicity suppressed by nanoe™ (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology

*2 Cedar allergens were used

*3 Hay Fever Environmental Health Manual (Ministry of the Environment, 2022) (https://www.env.go.jp/chemi/anzen/kafun/2022_full.pdf)