Peptide and Recombinant Allergen Vaccines for Food Allergy

Food allergy is a significant public health problem, with no suitable treatments available for patients. Currently, patients are limited to avoidance and the use of readily available emergency medications. Immunotherapy is an appealing therapeutic strategy for inducing tolerance. Studies with whole native allergens have demonstrated the efficacy of immunotherapy for food allergy; however, the risk of IgE-mediated reactions with such treatment is significant. Advances in molecular biology techniques, including purification, sequencing, and cloning, have allowed researchers to identify specific allergen components and T cell binding epitopes. Support for the use of recombinant and peptide vaccines for food allergy comes from prior studies involving aeroallergens and hymenoptera venom. By manipulating allergen structure and IgE binding, allergenicity can be reduced, thereby reducing systemic reactions, making recombinant and peptide vaccines a safe and effective form of immunotherapy. Pre-clinical studies using in vitro and murine models demonstrated a more tolerant state following the use of these therapies. Studies with human subjects will be necessary to characterize the effects of recombinant and peptide food allergy vaccines and to demonstrate a safe treatment option for patients.