ENGINEERING OF THE MAJOR HOUSE-DUST MITE ALLERGEN DER F2 FOR ALLERGEN-SPECIFIC IMMUNOTHERAPY

A major problem with allergen-specific immunotherapy involving repeate d injections of allergens is the risk of an anaphylactic reaction, We engineered the major house dust mite allergen, Der f 2, to reduce its capacity to induce skin test reactivity and histamine release from per ipheral blood basophils in allergic patients. The engineered allergen, in which the disulfide bond that linked the N- and C-terminal sequenc es of Der f 2 was disrupted, retained T-cell epitopes essential for im munotherapy and ability to stimulate T-cell proliferation. Such engine ered allergens are potentially useful for safer and more effective imm unotherapy for allergies.