Prof. Toshio Hirano, Osaka University and Deputy Director of Riken Research Center for Allergy and Immunology, first found that zinc ions are required for initiation of allergic response. Upon allergic stimulation, granules in mast cells and eosiophils migrate along the cyoskelton to the plasma membrane, and finally fuse to plasma membrane and release chemical mediators. Zinc ions are required for translocation of granules. We are developing therapeutics to suppress allergic response by depriving zinc ion from a diseased site. We believe that this should be effective for the treatment of diseases such as atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis.