The immunology of food allergy

Food allergies represent an increasingly prevalent human health problem, and therapeutic options remain limited, with avoidance being mainstay, despite its adverse effects on quality of life. A better understanding of the key immunological mechanisms involved in such responses likely will be vital for development of new therapies. This review outlines the current understanding of how the immune system is thought to contribute to prevention or development of food allergies. Drawing from animal studies, as well as clinical data when available, the importance of oral tolerance in sustaining immunological nonresponsiveness to food Ags, our current understanding of why oral tolerance may fail and sensitization may occur, and the knowledge of pathways that may lead to anaphylaxis and food allergy-associated responses are addressed.