Skip main navigation

Case: a carriage ride in Central Park

In this video Andreas J. Bircher explains how allergies can be transferred. Get to know more about active and passive sensitization.

Welcome back! We are very glad that you have decided to continue your journey in the world of allergies together with us. In the second week you will recognize manifestations, signs, and symptoms of allergic disorders as well as different types of allergic disorders, and consider how they could be treated.

Allergies involve soluble factors as we have seen in the first week. However, from the moment in time, when Clemens von Pirquet coined the term ‘allergy’ until the moment, when the specific IgE-antibodies involved in the allergic mechanism were really measurable, it took more than sixty years.

Research led, in fact, to the discovery of two forms of sensitization to allergens. After watching this video, can you tell us the fundamental difference between active and passive sensitization? Discuss below.

This article is from the free online

Allergies: When the Immune System Backfires

Created by
FutureLearn - Learning For Life

Reach your personal and professional goals

Unlock access to hundreds of expert online courses and degrees from top universities and educators to gain accredited qualifications and professional CV-building certificates.

Join over 18 million learners to launch, switch or build upon your career, all at your own pace, across a wide range of topic areas.

Start Learning now