Scientists have identified certain molecular sections within a particular dog allergen called Can f1 that reportedly cause severe allergic reactions, such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, and allergic conjunctivitis in 5-10 percent of the population. The finding of these particular epitopes within Can f1 suggest that it can potentially lead to the development of a vaccine which counters the immune response triggering dog allergy. Can f1 is one of seven such allergens (Canis familiaris allergen 1–7) that have previously been identified as causes of the majority of allergic reactions. The researchers from Osaka Prefecture University in Japan traced the exact molecular sections within Can f1 potentially responsible for the reactions using X-ray crystallography. The team, in their report,  published in The FEBS Journal, expressed their hopes of presenting small doses of these epitopes to the immune system in order to record the reactions and thus enabling the first steps of developing the vaccine.