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- Title
Epicutaneous allergen administration: is this the future of allergen-specific immunotherapy?
- Authors
Senti, G; von Moos, S; Kündig, Thomas M
- Abstract
IgE-mediated allergies, such as allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma, have become highly prevalent, today affecting up to 30% of the population in industrialized countries. Allergen-specific immunotherapy (SIT) either subcutaneously or via the sublingual route is effective, but only few patients (<5%) choose immunotherapy, as treatment takes several years and because allergen administrations are associated with local and, in some cases, even systemic allergic side-effects because of allergen accidentally reaching the circulation. In order to resolve these two major drawbacks, the ideal application site of SIT should have two characteristics. First, it should contain a high number of potent antigen-presenting cells to enhance efficacy and shorten treatment duration. Secondly, it should be nonvascularized in order to minimize inadvertent systemic distribution of the allergen and therefore systemic allergic side-effects. The epidermis, a nonvascularized multilayer epithelium, that contains high numbers of potent antigen-presenting Langerhans cells (LC) could therefore be an interesting administration route. The present review will discuss the immunological rational, history and actual clinical experience with epicutaneous allergen-specific immunotherapy.
- Publication
Allergy, 2011, Vol 66, Issue 6, p798
- ISSN
1398-9995
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1398-9995.2011.02560.x