Allergo Journal International最新文献

Generally, biomarkers could increase the success rate of medicinal product developments and as a consequence accelerate the availability of new therapeutics with an improved benefit–risk relationship. Therefore, patient identification based on predictive biomarkers is becoming increasingly important in all therapeutic areas [1]. The increasing use of predictive biomarker-guided-personalized (precision) medicine warrants the discovery of novel biomarkers as measurable indicators of physiopathological conditions [2]. Biomarkers can be used for diagnostics and prognostics, monitoring disease progression, but also to select the most effective therapy and to predict the treatment outcome [3, 4]. The current article provides a short focus on the regulatory definition of a biomarker and the biomarker qualification process of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). With the evolving landscape, the new Regulation (EU) 2017/746 on in vitro medical devices (IVDR) [5] introduces important changes in the EU legal framework for IVDs especially by legally defining for the first time “companion diagnostic” devices (CDx). Challenges in the codevelopment of CDx and medicinal products are highlighted to provide scientific–regulatory considerations in this complex regulatory field.

Obesity and allergies are among the most common diseases of our civilization. Given the simultaneous rise in the prevalence of these diseases in recent years, a potential causal link between the two has been proposed. In particular, obese patients are at an increased risk of developing bronchial asthma, likely due to mechanical restrictions but also to metabolic changes that adversely affect immune function. Neuroscience studies have also shown that obesity can lead to impaired brain function and mental health. In the following review, we will take a closer look at our studies that focus on the influence of obesity on allergic diseases and cognitive performance.

Both human studies and animal models (mice) have shown that obesity leads to increased allergic responses in the airways. Our studies in a mouse model of obesity confirm that an obese phenotype is associated with increased allergic sensitization and manifestation. These changes are associated with significant shifts in the composition of the gut microbial flora. The microbiome changes are further associated with allergic airway inflammation and an increased incidence of T helper 1 (Th1) type pulmonary macrophages. Interestingly, despite the changes in the microbiome, it is possible to effectively prevent allergy development by inducing oral tolerance. Furthermore, it was observed that obese mice show increased signs of anxiety and depression, as well as reduced cognitive performance.

Obesity is a complex metabolic disease that significantly impacts our body’s gut microbiome and immune system, resulting in an increased incidence of allergic asthma and neurological/psychological changes. Attention should be given to both the prophylactic and therapeutic measures to mitigate the impact of obesity, including oral tolerance for managing existing allergic diseases.

A variety of body surfaces, such as skin and mucosal membranes—from the nasopharyngeal area to the lungs, uterus, vaginal area, and digestive tract—contain complex microbial ecosystems that are tailored to the specifics of the respective niche [1].

The so-called dysbiosis—a disadvantageous change in the composition of the microbiome—is associated with the pathogenesis of a variety of diseases [2]. Gastrointestinal as well as cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative, psychological, oncological, and also allergic diseases have been linked to microbial dysbiosis. Susceptibility to allergies can be due to genetic predisposition; in addition, extrinsic factors from today’s lifestyle increasingly contribute to microbiome changes, but also to the disruption of the skin and mucosal barrier and thus to the development of allergies [3].

Gisela, a fictional farmer, guides us through this review. She is representative of adults and children of all genders in industrialized countries. During her daily routine, the skin and mucosal microbiome is influenced by a variety of exogenous factors. These include everyday personal hygiene products, detergents for laundry and dishes, food, medication, animal contact, and exposure to various outdoor environments. Gisela’s daily routine will illustrate how the human microbiome and the skin barrier are modified in positive or negative ways, and how this could influence the development of allergies. Furthermore, potential measures for the prevention and management of dysbiosis will be discussed in terms of examples of alternative products and behaviors.

Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only treatment that modifies the allergic response to allergens. One immune mechanism associated with a reduction in clinical symptoms is the induction of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-blocking antibodies. In particular, AIT-induced allergen-specific IgG4 antibodies were regarded a candidate biomarker for clinical efficacy. With the knowledge that not all AIT-induced allergen-specific IgG antibodies bear blocking bioactivity, different in vitro assays became popular to assess the blocking capacity of sera collected during and after AIT. Their measuring principles vary in the detection of the prevention of IgE-binding to allergen or of allergen interactions with IgE bound to high-affinity Fc epsilon receptors on the surface of effector cells. More recently, the contribution to IgE-blocking of other isotypes that arise in the course of AIT, e.g., IgG1 and IgA, was confirmed. The results indicated that different isotypes of allergen-specific antibodies serve as dominant IgE-blocking factors in the course of AIT.

This mini-review is an update on a previous review published in 2021 and aims to summarize recent findings on the influence of the microbiome on allergic diseases. We cover the topics of food allergy, airway allergies, and skin allergies with a particular focus on clinical implications. Articles published between January 2021 and March 2024 were screened to be included in this publication.