AIDA: Allergy Immunotherapy based on Designed Allergens

Introduction

Allergy is a severe immune reaction to foreign substances known as allergens, with respiratory and food allergies affecting 30% and 10% of the global population, respectively. A high structural similarity exists between pollen and food allergens. Therefore, many people suffer from both types of allergies.

Impact of Untreated Allergies

Untreated allergies have detrimental effects on:

• Health-related quality of life
• Family economics
• Work attendance

Current Treatment Approaches

Allergy is treated as a chronic disease, with a focus on reducing symptoms (e.g., antihistamines), which is cumbersome and expensive. The only existing curative treatment, allergen immunotherapy (AIT), consists of:

1. Up to 5 years of monthly exposure to low amounts of the triggering allergen
2. Gradual desensitization of the immune system

Unfortunately, this approach is costly for healthcare providers, and its efficacy varies, being especially low for patients allergic to multiple pollen and foodstuff sources.

Patient Participation and Challenges

Only 40% of patients choose to undergo AIT, and 20% of these terminate the treatment early due to:

• Strong side effects
• Lack of efficacy

Proposed Solution

We propose the development of an urgently needed AIT by:

• Treating several allergies at once
• Achieving tolerance faster
• Reducing side effects