Production of allergen-specific immunotherapeutic agents for the treatment of food allergy

Jeppe Madura Larsen, Claus Heiner Bang-Berthelsen, Katrine Qvortrup, Ana Isabel Sancho Vega, Anders Højgaard Hansen, Kasper Ivert Hentzer Andersen, Sonnich Sunil Nørtoft Thacker, Thomas Eiwegger, Julia Upton, Katrine Lindholm Bøgh*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

264 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Allergen-specific immunotherapy (IT) is emerging as a viable avenue for the treatment of food allergies. Clinical trials currently investigate raw or slightly processed foods as therapeutic agents, as trials using food-grade agents can be performed without the strict regulations to which conventional drugs are subjected. However, this limits the ability of standardization and may affect clinical trial outcomes and reproducibility. Herein, we provide an overview of methods used in the production of immunotherapeutic agents for the treatment of food allergies, including processed foods, allergen extracts, recombinant allergens, and synthetic peptides, as well as the physical and chemical processes for the reduction of protein allergenicity. Commercial interests currently favor producing standardized drug-grade allergen extracts for therapeutic use, and clinical trials are ongoing. In the near future, recombinant production could replace purification strategies since it allows the manufacturing of pure, native allergens or sequence-modified allergens with reduced allergenicity. A recurring issue within this field is the inadequate reporting of production procedures, quality control, product physicochemical characteristics, allergenicity, and immunological properties. This information is of vital importance in assessing therapeutic standardization and clinical safety profile, which are central parameters for the development of future therapeutic agents.

Original languageEnglish
JournalCritical Reviews in Biotechnology
Volume40
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)881-894
ISSN0738-8551
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Production of allergen-specific immunotherapeutic agents for the treatment of food allergy'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this