The spring season is usually an uplifting time of year unless you happen to be an allergy sufferer.

Luckily, a team of Penn State researchers are giving hope to watery-eyed, sneezing people with some recent findings.

Their research, which was published in the March 14 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, is the first to show actual evidence between mammal reactions to allergens through lipid molecules in cell membranes in a living cell.

"Before this, we haven't been able to see the cholesterol properties without killing the cell or incubating the cells at refrigerator temperatures, which obviously isn't like your body," said Erin Sheets, associate professor in the department of chemistry and leader of the research project.

The team looked at groups of lipid molecules that were rich in cholesterol and that they believe to serve as the platform for receptors that receive antibodies. Antibodies are proteins that help protect our bodies from allergens.

They examined a particular antibody, which, when bound to receptors, began the cell's release of histamine. Histamine is what brings the congestion, mucus and itchiness associated with allergies.

"We can hope that more clever people will take this basic information and use it for drug discoveries that target a signaling pathway," Ahmed Heikal, associate professor in the department of bioengineering and leader of the research project, wrote in an e-mail.

Besides helping to better understand what triggers allergy symptoms, the research also allowed the team to use a special combination of imaging and spectroscopy techniques they are developing in their laboratory.

Their techniques helped them view things at the cellular level, which is too small to see with conventional microscopes.

"This work represents the first time that we can really look at the changes in the cells under physiological conditions," Sheets said. "People have similar equipment, but it's the combination of our system and instrumentation that makes it unique."

Some students expressed that the results of the research could bring relief to those who suffer the most around this time of year.

"This could be helpful so that people who are violently allergic won't have to experience those deadly reactions," said Jacqueline Bates (freshman-division of undergraduate studies). "I think this would be good so that they don't have to undergo that experience."

With the possibility of new allergy drug developments, some students also showed concern over how affordable they would be to allergy sufferers on a college budget.

"For students to get these drugs, I think it would depend on if their insurance would cover it and how bad their allergies are," said Anna Bernat (freshman-public relations).