THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL OF RECOMBINANT ALLERGENS

The application of molecular biology in recent years to the characterization of protein allergens has led to spectacular advances in the synthesis of cDNAs of several major allergens and in the determination of their primary structures. This information has in turn led to: (i) the synthesis of the corresponding recombinant allergens; (ii) the delineation of B- and T-cell epitopes of some of these allergens, and (iii) the demonstration of extensive cross-reactivities among individual members of a particular group of aero allergens. The availability of major allergens in pure form and virtually unlimited quantities makes it possible to evaluate the efficacy of novel therapeutic strategies, based on modern concepts of immunoregulation, for the suppression of IgE antibodies or inactivation of allergen-specific Th cells by chemically modified recombinant allergens or their appropriately modified epitopes. The potentials of some of these strategies and their possible advantages in relation to the currently used immunotherapy are discussed.