Subcutaneous and sublingual allergen specific immunotherapy in experimental models for allergic asthma

Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and asthma are chronic inflammatory diseases with symptoms such as watery eyes, sneezing and breathlessness, caused by inhalation of aerosol allergens. Given the great inconvenience to patients and the increasing prevalence, an efficient therapy that permanently alters the unwanted immune response is essential. Current medication is merely symptom-suppressing, not curative. An exception to this is allergen specific immunotherapy (AIT), in which the allergen is administered in subcutaneous injections (subcutaneous immunotherapy, SCIT) or sublingual (SLIT) tablets or drops for three to five years. Clinical experiments are observational and the cellular and immunological mechanisms of AIT have often been investigated using experimental mouse models of allergic disease. Animal models of allergic asthma should be as close as possible to the human pathophysiology of allergic airway disease, so that mechanistic insights obtained in the experimental models can be easily translated to the human situation.
This thesis describes findings based on a scientifically well-defined animal model with high translational value. Not only are we able to correctly interpret the readout parameters of inflammation, airway resistance and serological responses using crude allergen extracts, but also induce them in two mouse models of allergic asthma. We can also directly compare the two dosage forms, SCIT and SLIT, test the use of VitD3 as an adjuvant, make new formulations and optimize peptide-AIT, and use the model completely allergen-independent to also test naturally purified major allergens. Finally, the book chapter also gives other researchers the opportunity to use this model for research purposes.