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Review
. 2017 Sep:189:19-26.
doi: 10.1016/j.imlet.2017.04.015. Epub 2017 May 1.

Recombinant allergy vaccines based on allergen-derived B cell epitopes

Rudolf Valenta  1 , Raffaela Campana  2 , Verena Niederberger  3
Affiliations
Review

Recombinant allergy vaccines based on allergen-derived B cell epitopes

Rudolf Valenta et al. Immunol Lett. 2017 Sep.

Abstract

Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-associated allergy is the most common immunologically-mediated hypersensitivity disease. It affects more than 25% of the population. In IgE-sensitized subjects, allergen encounter can causes a variety of symptoms ranging from hayfever (allergic rhinoconjunctivitis) to asthma, skin inflammation, food allergy and severe life-threatening anaphylactic shock. Allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is based on vaccination with the disease-causing allergens. AIT is an extremely effective, causative and disease-modifying treatment. However, administration of natural allergens can cause severe side effects and the quality of natural allergen extracts limits its application. Research in the field of molecular allergen characterization has allowed deciphering the molecular structures of the disease-causing allergens and it has become possible to engineer novel molecular allergy vaccines which precisely target the mechanisms of the allergic immune response and even appear suitable for prophylactic allergy vaccination. Here we discuss recombinant allergy vaccines which are based on allergen-derived B cell epitopes regarding their molecular and immunological properties and review the results obtained in clinical studies with this new type of allergy vaccines.

Keywords: Allergen; Allergen-specific immunotherapy; Allergy; Allergy vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest

Rudolf Valenta has received research grants from the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), Biomay AG, Vienna, Austria, Viravaxx, Vienna, Austria, Thermofisher, Uppsala, Sweden and Fresenius Medical Care, Bad Homburg, Germany. He serves as a consultant for Biomay, Virvaxx, Thermofisher and Fresenius. Verena Niederberger has no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Recombinant B cell epitope-based allergy vaccines: construction and mechanisms of AIT.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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