Allergen-specific immunotherapy: A unique model of tolerance induction in humans

Appearing at the beginning of the XXth century, allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) has long been used in the treatment of allergic rhinitis and asthma and in allergy to hymenoptera venom without precise knowledge of its mechanisms of action. However, the development of modem immunological tools brought important insights into these mechanisms allowing consideration of new strategies for SIT. It is currently understood that SIT modifies the immune response to allergens by reorientating the inflammatory reaction towards Th1 and T-regulatory pathways with induction of IFN-gamma and IL-10. This action is exerted both at the adaptive (T-cell) and at the innate (allergen-presenting cell) levels of immunity. (c) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.