Overcoming Shellfish Allergy: How Far Have We Come?
Shellfish allergy caused by undesirable immunological responses upon ingestion of crustaceans and mollusks is a common cause of food allergy, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. While the prevalence of shellfish allergy is increasing, the mainstay of clinical diagnosis for these patients includes...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-03-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/6/2234 |
| _version_ | 1811203391802572800 |
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| author | Christine Y.Y. Wai Nicki Y.H. Leung Ka Hou Chu Patrick S.C. Leung Agnes S.Y. Leung Gary W.K. Wong Ting Fan Leung |
| author_facet | Christine Y.Y. Wai Nicki Y.H. Leung Ka Hou Chu Patrick S.C. Leung Agnes S.Y. Leung Gary W.K. Wong Ting Fan Leung |
| author_sort | Christine Y.Y. Wai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Shellfish allergy caused by undesirable immunological responses upon ingestion of crustaceans and mollusks is a common cause of food allergy, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. While the prevalence of shellfish allergy is increasing, the mainstay of clinical diagnosis for these patients includes extract-based skin prick test and specific IgE measurement while clinical management consists of food avoidance and as-needed use of adrenaline autoinjector should they develop severe allergic reactions. Such a standard of care is unsatisfactory to both patients and healthcare practitioners. There is a pressing need to introduce more specific diagnostic methods, as well as effective and safe therapies for patients with shellfish allergy. Knowledge gained on the identifications and defining the immuno-molecular features of different shellfish allergens over the past two decades have gradually translated into the design of new diagnostic and treatment options for shellfish allergy. In this review, we will discuss the epidemiology, the molecular identification of shellfish allergens, recent progress in various diagnostic methods, as well as current development in immunotherapeutic approaches including the use of unmodified allergens, hypoallergens, immunoregulatory peptides and DNA vaccines for the prevention and treatment of shellfish allergy. The prospect of a “cure “for shellfish allergy is within reach. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:55:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3dec1d15022149b0b9852455a4802cff |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1422-0067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:55:01Z |
| publishDate | 2020-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-3dec1d15022149b0b9852455a4802cff2022-12-22T03:50:51ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Molecular Sciences1422-00672020-03-01216223410.3390/ijms21062234ijms21062234Overcoming Shellfish Allergy: How Far Have We Come?Christine Y.Y. Wai0Nicki Y.H. Leung1Ka Hou Chu2Patrick S.C. Leung3Agnes S.Y. Leung4Gary W.K. Wong5Ting Fan Leung6Department of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong KongDepartment of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong KongSchool of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong KongDivision of Rheumatology/Allergy, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USADepartment of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong KongDepartment of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong KongDepartment of Paediatrics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong KongShellfish allergy caused by undesirable immunological responses upon ingestion of crustaceans and mollusks is a common cause of food allergy, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. While the prevalence of shellfish allergy is increasing, the mainstay of clinical diagnosis for these patients includes extract-based skin prick test and specific IgE measurement while clinical management consists of food avoidance and as-needed use of adrenaline autoinjector should they develop severe allergic reactions. Such a standard of care is unsatisfactory to both patients and healthcare practitioners. There is a pressing need to introduce more specific diagnostic methods, as well as effective and safe therapies for patients with shellfish allergy. Knowledge gained on the identifications and defining the immuno-molecular features of different shellfish allergens over the past two decades have gradually translated into the design of new diagnostic and treatment options for shellfish allergy. In this review, we will discuss the epidemiology, the molecular identification of shellfish allergens, recent progress in various diagnostic methods, as well as current development in immunotherapeutic approaches including the use of unmodified allergens, hypoallergens, immunoregulatory peptides and DNA vaccines for the prevention and treatment of shellfish allergy. The prospect of a “cure “for shellfish allergy is within reach.https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/6/2234allergen-specific immunotherapycomponent-resolved diagnosisdiagnosisdna vaccinetropomyosin |
| spellingShingle | Christine Y.Y. Wai Nicki Y.H. Leung Ka Hou Chu Patrick S.C. Leung Agnes S.Y. Leung Gary W.K. Wong Ting Fan Leung Overcoming Shellfish Allergy: How Far Have We Come? International Journal of Molecular Sciences allergen-specific immunotherapy component-resolved diagnosis diagnosis dna vaccine tropomyosin |
| title | Overcoming Shellfish Allergy: How Far Have We Come? |
| title_full | Overcoming Shellfish Allergy: How Far Have We Come? |
| title_fullStr | Overcoming Shellfish Allergy: How Far Have We Come? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Overcoming Shellfish Allergy: How Far Have We Come? |
| title_short | Overcoming Shellfish Allergy: How Far Have We Come? |
| title_sort | overcoming shellfish allergy how far have we come |
| topic | allergen-specific immunotherapy component-resolved diagnosis diagnosis dna vaccine tropomyosin |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/6/2234 |
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