title: Immunological mechanisms of allergen-specific immunotherapy.
abstract: Allergen-specific immunotherapy has been carried out for almost a century and remains one of the few antigen-specific treatments for inflammatory diseases. The mechanisms by which allergen-specific immunotherapy exerts its effects include the modulation of both T-cell and B-cell responses to allergen. There is a strong rationale for improving the efficacy of allergen-specific immunotherapy by reducing the incidence and severity of adverse reactions mediated by IgE. Approaches to address this problem include the use of modified allergens, novel adjuvants and alternative routes of administration. This article reviews the development of allergen-specific immunotherapy, our current understanding of its mechanisms of action and its future prospects.
authors.affiliation: Division of Clinical Immunology & Allergy, Department of Medicine, McMaster University, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada. m.larche@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Larché
authors.forename: Cezmi A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Akdis
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Valenta
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000628:therapy*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens