title: DNA vaccines and allergic diseases.
abstract: 1. Allergic diseases are characterized by inappropriate immune responses to common environmental antigens. The prevalence of these diseases has been increasing worldwide for reasons that are not exactly clear. 2. Current treatment is largely symptomatic. Because the initial observation that simple plasmid DNA injections resulted in in vivo protein expression and induction of adaptive immune responses to the encoded antigen, the potential of modifying the allergic immune responses by DNA vaccination so as to treat and prevent these diseases has been explored extensively. 3. In the present paper we review preclinical studies using animal models of allergic diseases, with an emphasis on DNA vaccine design, for house dust mite allergens-related allergic asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: Kaw Yan
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Chua
authors.forename: Taoqi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Huangfu
authors.forename: Lip Nyin
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Liew
mesh_terms: D055516:2S Albumins, Plant; D000485:Allergens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D052179:Antigens, Plant; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D001514:Bee Venoms / Q000201:enzymology; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000639:trends; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D010741:Phospholipases A / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D055516:2S Albumins, Plant; D000485:Allergens; D039741:Antigens, Dermatophagoides; D052179:Antigens, Plant; C500890:Ara h 2 allergen, Arachis hypogaea; D060829:Arthropod Proteins; D001514:Bee Venoms; C065290:Cry j I protein, Cryptomeria japonica; C451239:Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus antigen p 5; D006023:Glycoproteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; C101800:allergen Hev b 5; D010741:Phospholipases A