ImmunoTargets and Therapy (Jan 2021)
Current Insights into Immunotherapy Approaches for Food Allergy
Abstract
Jessica D Macdougall,1 A Wesley Burks,1 Edwin H Kim2 1Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; 2Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USACorrespondence: Edwin H KimDepartment of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 3004 Mary Ellen Jones Building, 116 Manning Dr, CB 8035, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USATel +1 919 537 3193Fax +1 919 962 5478Email [email protected]: In the last decade, there has been increasing research dedicated to food immunotherapy to induce clinical desensitization and provide protection by increasing clinical reaction thresholds. Results from recent food immunotherapy studies with differing routes of administration (oral, sublingual, and epicutaneous) suggest that food immunotherapy can induce clinical desensitization with varying levels of safety, however lasting tolerance has not been demonstrated. Furthermore, treatment side effects and dosing logistics may make the therapies difficult for some supporting the need for alternative treatment approaches. Peptide immunotherapy and DNA vaccine approaches should in theory allow for safer administration by decreasing allergenicity but proof of their clinical efficacy and immunogenicity remains to be proven. Biologic agents may allow for increased safety and rapid up-dosing of immunotherapy with the added benefit of treating multiple allergens simultaneously.Keywords: food allergy, oral immunotherapy, sublingual immunotherapy, epicutaneous immunotherapy, omalizumab, dupilumab
