Atopic dermatitis and IgE-mediated food allergy: Common biologic targets for therapy and prevention

To highlight common mechanistic targets for the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) and IgE-mediated food allergy (IgE-FA) with potential to be effective for both diseases and prevent atopic progression.

Data sources were PubMed searches or National Clinical Trials (NCT)-registered clinical trials related to AD, IgE-FA, and other atopic conditions, especially focused on the pediatric population.

Human seminal studies and/or articles published in the past decade were emphasized with reference to preclinical models when relevant. NCT-registered clinical trials were filtered by inclusion of pediatric subjects younger than 18 years with special focus on children younger than 12 years as a critical period when AD and IgE-FA diseases may often be concurrent.

AD and IgE-FA share several pathophysiologic features, including epithelial barrier dysfunction, innate and adaptive immune abnormalities, and microbial dysbiosis, which may be critical for the clinical progression between these diseases. Revolutionary advances in targeted biologic therapies have shown the benefit of inhibiting type 2 immune responses, using dupilumab (anti-interleukin-4Rα) or omalizumab (anti-IgE), to potentially reduce symptom burden for both diseases in pediatric populations. Although the potential for biologics to promote disease remission (AD) or sustained unresponsiveness (IgE-FA) remains unclear, the refinement of biomarkers to predict infants at risk for atopic disorders provides promise for prevention through timely intervention.

AD and IgE-FA exhibit common features that may be leveraged to develop biologic therapeutic strategies to treat both conditions and even prevent atopic progression. Future studies should be designed with consistent age stratification in the pediatric population and standardized regimens of adjuvant oral immunotherapy or dose escalation (IgE-FA) to improve cross-study interpretation.