Human Immune Monitoring Techniques during Food Allergen Immunotherapy

AbstractPurpose of ReviewEncouraging results from recent food allergen immunotherapy clinical trials indicate that the immune system plays an essential role in peripheral tolerance to food allergen. Thus, the monitoring of changes in immune responses and their possible correlation with clinical outcome in allergic patients receiving immunotherapies could theoretically serve as surrogate markers and be harnessed as rationale for food allergen immunotherapy development.Recent FindingsA shift towards antigen specificity in recent assays has provided a solid foundation for the elucidation of cellular mechanisms involved in food allergen immunotherapy as well as the tracking of allergen-specific immune cells.SummaryIn this review, we overview the current challenges and technologies used in immune monitoring during immunotherapy in allergic patients with a focus on cell-mediated immunity. We also discuss critical steps involved in some of the cellular immune assays utilized in clinical trials.
Source: Current Allergy and Asthma Reports - Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research