title: Food allergy: immune mechanisms, diagnosis and immunotherapy.
abstract: Food allergy is a pathological, potentially deadly, immune reaction triggered by normally innocuous food protein antigens. The prevalence of food allergies is rising and the standard of care is not optimal, consisting of food-allergen avoidance and treatment of allergen-induced systemic reactions with adrenaline. Thus, accurate diagnosis, prevention and treatment are pressing needs, research into which has been catalysed by technological advances that are enabling a mechanistic understanding of food allergy at the cellular and molecular levels. We discuss the diagnosis and treatment of IgE-mediated food allergy in the context of the immune mechanisms associated with healthy tolerance to common foods, the inflammatory response underlying most food allergies, and immunotherapy-induced desensitization. We highlight promising research advances, therapeutic innovations and the challenges that remain.
authors: Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, Stanford University.|Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University.|Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors: Wong
authors: W
authors: Yu
authors: Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, Stanford University.|Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University.
authors: Deborah M Hussey
authors: DMH
authors: Freeland
authors: Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research, Stanford University.|Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University.|Division of Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA.
authors: Kari C
authors: KC
authors: Nadeau
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic; D005502:Food / Q000009:adverse effects; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007167:Immunotherapy
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D007073:Immunoglobulin E