Revista de alergia y terapia

Abstracto

From Molecule Studies of Allergens to Development of Immunotherapy of Allergies

Christine YY Wai, Nicki YH Leung, Ka Hou Chu and Patrick SC Leung

Allergies are hypersensitive reactions that affect over 25% of the world population. Extensive studies have been directed to define patho-immunological mechanisms of allergy and the molecular characteristics of allergens. The emerging B cell and T cell epitope database has greatly facilitated the development of epitope-based immunotherapy that aims at modulating patients’ immune responses towards a specific allergen. Modifications on the B cell epitopes reduce the affinity of allergens towards IgE while inducing immuno-tolerance as in traditional therapies utilizing native allergens. T cell epitope-based immunotherapy is considered as a safe form of therapy since the small peptide fragments cannot form cross-links with IgE. In this review, current strategies in mapping B cell and T cell epitopes are discussed. Furthermore, current progress in the translation of epitope into potential immunotherapies is illustrated with specific examples on airway and food allergies.