title: The fold variant BM4 is beneficial in a therapeutic Bet v 1 mouse model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Specific immunotherapy using recombinant allergens is clinically effective; still wild-type allergens can provoke treatment-induced side effects and often show poor immunogenicity in vivo. Thus, we tested the low IgE-binding, highly immunogenic fold variant BM4 in a Bet v 1 mouse model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recombinant BM4 was used as active vaccine ingredient to treat mice sensitized to Bet v 1. As controls, mice were treated with either Bet v 1 or sham, and the humoral as well as cellular immune response was monitored. Moreover, lung function and lung inflammation were analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BM4 was more effective than wild-type Bet v 1 in inducing Bet v 1-specific blocking antibodies as well as IFN-γ and IL-10 producing T cells. Further, birch pollen induced lung inflammation could be ameliorated significantly by BM4 treatment as demonstrated by a reduction of airway hyperresponsiveness and drastically decreased eosinophil counts in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study outlines the high potential of BM4 as vaccine candidate for the treatment of Bet v 1-mediated birch pollen allergies.
authors.affiliation: Christian Doppler Laboratory for Allergy Diagnosis and Therapy, University of Salzburg, 5020 Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pichler
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Asam
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Almedina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Isakovic
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hauser
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Briza
authors.forename: Fatima
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallner
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D052179:Antigens, Plant / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D017510:Protein Folding; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014612:Vaccines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D052179:Antigens, Plant; C556062:IL10 protein, mouse; D014612:Vaccines; C061312:Bet v 1 allergen, Betula; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma