Molecular cloning, expression and characterization of cross-reacting latex and food allergens

Funding of the FWF project P12838-GEN made it possible to clone and produce 60% of today`s officially accepted Hevea latex allergens. These recombinant allergens were put to use in diagnostic applications and in mouse models to study the pathogenesis of latex allergy and of new therapeutic concepts. Latex allergy continues to be a serious occupational disease for individuals who are in frequently exposed to latex products. In addition, the prevalence of latex allergy is very high within certain patient groups such as individuals afflicted with spina bifida. Several allergenic proteins play an important role in latex allergy. Latex allergy shares certain conserved allergens with other allergies, e.g. to plant foods (latex-fruit syndrome). In contrast to the commonly used allergen extracts, a precise, component resolved diagnosis is only made possible by recombinant allergens. These were produced within the P12838-GEN project. These recombinant allergens made it possible to establish mouse models for the study of the pathogenesis of latex allergy. Such mouse models are now also used to evaluate new therapeutic concepts, such as the induction of mucosal tolerance. The project also allowed us to establish a transient expression system in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. This system is at the moment the only one that allows the production of recombinant allergens that require a plant-specific folding and/or glycosylation for their biologic and allergenic function.