title: Ingestion of milk containing the Dp2 peptide, a dust mite allergen, protects mice from allergic airway inflammation and hyper-responsiveness.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Allergen-specific immunotherapy has been demonstrated to have potential for the treatment of allergic diseases. Transgenic animals are currently the best available bioreactors to produce recombinant proteins, which can be secreted in milk. It has not been clearly demonstrated whether milk from transgenic animals expressing recombinant allergens has immunomodulatory effects on allergic asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  We aimed to determine whether the oral administration of milk containing a mite allergen can down-regulate allergen-specific airway inflammation. Transgenic CD-1 mice that express a recombinant group 2 allergen from Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Dp2) in their milk were generated using an embryonic gene-microinjection technique. Mouse pups were fed transgenic Dp2-containing milk or wild-type milk. Subsequently, these mice were sensitized and challenged with Dp2 to induce allergic airway inflammation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Upon sensitization and challenge, mice fed transgenic Dp2 milk had decreased T-helper 2 (Th2) and increased T-helper 1 (Th1) responses in the airway compared with mice fed wild-type milk. Moreover, pre-treatment with transgenic Dp2 milk attenuated airway inflammation and decreased airway hyper-responsiveness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides new evidence that oral administration of transgenic milk containing the Dp2 allergen down-regulated and moderately protected against allergic airway inflammation. Milk from transgenic animals expressing allergens may have potential use in the prevention of allergic asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Kuo Kuang Rd, Taichung, 402, Taiwan.|Division of Chest Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital and School of Medicine, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsu-Chung
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Kuo Kuang Rd, Taichung, 402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shun-Yuan
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Winston Tk
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioresources, Da-Yeh University, Changhwa, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiao-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Kuo Kuang Rd, Taichung, 402, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tung-Chou
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shang-Hsun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Agricultural Biotechnology Center, National Chung Hsing University, Kuo Kuang Rd, Taichung, 402, Taiwan.|iEGG Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chuan-Mu
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen