title: Animal models of food allergy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The focus of this review will be on recent animal models of food allergy. Animal models are being used to investigate underlying mechanisms of IgE-mediated disease and for prophylactic/intervention therapies to treat allergic disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Considerable advances have been made in the dosage and use of sensitization routes with and without adjuvant and determinations of the pathophysiology of food allergy in murine, dog and swine food allergy models. Continued research on the neuroendocrine and novel immunoregulatory peptides is also providing new insight into inflammatory regulation and immunity. With the advent of genetically modified food crops, animal models are becoming a central theme for prediction/assessment of allergenicity for novel proteins based upon known food allergens. Therapeutic strategies involving cytokine and allergen, DNA immunizations and the use of probiotics are receiving new interest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although murine models still predominate the literature with respect to animal models of food allergy, the atopic dog and neonatal swine model are contributing knowledge with respect to symptoms more closely related to human allergic responses. Continuing investigations into the mechanisms of IgE-mediated food allergy and therapeutic strategies are providing new insights into prevention and intervention therapies for food allergy.
authors.affiliation: ACHRI/UAMS, Department of Pediatrics, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202, USA. helmrickim@uams.edu
authors.forename: Ricki M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Helm
authors.forename: A Wesley
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Burks
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000379:methods*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012882:Skin Tests; D013045:Species Specificity; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens