title: Chimeric human fcgamma-allergen fusion proteins in the prevention of allergy.
abstract: Allergic responses are strongly associated with Th2-type immune responses, and modulation of the skewed Th2 response toward a more balanced response is the major goal of allergen immunotherapy (IT) in allergic disorders. To achieve this goal, several approaches have been tested. The authors previously showed that a human immunoglobulin (Ig) Fcgamma-Fcvarepsilon fusion protein (GE2) that directly cross-links FcvarepsilonRI and FcgammaRIIb on human mast cells and basophils was able to inhibit degranulation, and they reasoned that human gamma-allergen fusion protein would achieve a similar inhibitory effect in an allergen-specific fashion while preserving the immunogenicity of the allergen component. Therefore, the authors constructed and developed a human-cat chimeric fusion protein composed of the human Fcgamma1 and the cat allergen Fel d1 (Felis domesticus) for cat allergen-specific IT. This article summarizes the therapeutic features and potential of this novel fusion protein for allergic IT.
authors.affiliation: The Hart and Louise Lyon Laboratory, Division of Clinical Immunology/Allergy, Department of Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, 52-175 CHS, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1680, USA. kzhang@mednet.ucla.edu
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Daocheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kepley
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Terada
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saxon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments / Q000737:chemistry*; D051379:Mice; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D007141:Immunoglobulin Fc Fragments; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C059296:Fel d 1 protein, Felis domesticus