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Application of Biochip Microfluidic Technology to Detect Serum Allergen-specific Immunoglobulin E (sIgE)
Published on: April 21, 2019
Bioinformatics approaches to classifying allergens and predicting cross-reactivity.
Catherine H Schein1, Ovidiu Ivanciuc, Werner Braun
1Sealy Center for Structural Biology and Molecular Biophysics, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Boulevard, Galveston, TX 77555-0857, USA.
Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America
|February 6, 2007
Summary
Similar protein structures across diverse environmental sources explain multiple allergen syndromes. Identifying common allergenic proteins in silico can help create personalized therapies for patients with allergies.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Bioinformatics
- Allergy Research
Background:
- Allergenic proteins from diverse environmental sources often share similar sequences and structures.
- This molecular similarity can lead to multiple allergen syndromes, where patients exhibit similar IgE-based reactions to various plants and foods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide an overview of databases for allergenic proteins.
- To present methods for identifying common proteins responsible for multiple allergy syndromes.
- To highlight the utility of in silico identification for developing individualized therapies.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing allergenic protein databases.
- Emphasis on the Structural Database of Allergenic Proteins (SDAP).
- Utilizing bioinformatics tools within SDAP to group allergens and identify cross-reactive regions.
Main Results:
- The Structural Database of Allergenic Proteins (SDAP) contains data on over 800 allergenic proteins.
- SDAP integrates sequence, structure, and IgE epitope information.
- Bioinformatics tools facilitate the grouping of allergens and pinpointing of cross-reactivity areas.
Conclusions:
- Shared protein structures are a key factor in multiple allergen syndromes.
- In silico identification of common allergenic proteins is crucial for personalized allergy treatment.
- The SDAP database and its tools offer valuable resources for clinicians and researchers.
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