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Food allergy: what do we learn from animal models?
Léon M J Knippels1, Femke van Wijk, André H Penninks
1Experimental Immunology, TNO Nutrition and Food Research, Zeist, The Netherlands. knippels@voeding.tno.nl
Summary
Animal models advance food allergy research, revealing new therapeutic strategies and insights into immune responses. Studies explore desensitization, genetic susceptibility, and allergenicity prediction for novel foods.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Allergology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Food allergy is a growing health concern.
- Understanding immune responses is crucial for developing effective treatments.
- Accurate prediction of allergenicity for novel foods is needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review 2003 research on animal models of food allergy.
- To cover mechanistic studies, new therapies, and hazard identification.
- To summarize findings on sensitization, tolerance, and allergenicity.
Main Methods:
- Review of selected articles published in 2003.
- Analysis of studies using various animal models (mouse, rat, swine, dog).
- Investigation of immunological mechanisms, genetic factors, and protein characteristics.
Main Results:
- Novel preventive and therapeutic strategies show promise, including desensitization via recombinant allergens and Th1-skewing components.
- Animal models provide insights into protein structure, digestion, and gut permeability's role in sensitization and tolerance.
- Studies link genetic susceptibility to differential T helper 1 (Th1)/Th2 responses and highlight the liver's role in Th2 cell development.
Conclusions:
- Multiple animal models (mouse, rat, swine, dog) are utilized in food allergy research.
- Continued research is essential for elucidating immunological mechanisms and improving therapeutic options.
- Development of models for predicting relative allergenicity of novel foods remains a key research area.