Allergy Current Research

In recent years, food allergy and associated anaphylaxis have emerged as very significant public health concerns, particularly in children. 

To better understand food allergy and the influence it can have on other allergic diseases such as asthma, Postdoctoral Research Fellow Dr Elizabeth Forbes is developing an experimental model that can be used to explore how patients with food allergy are sensitised.  The need for such models is paramount, since human testing is limited by the fact that exposure of allergic individuals to even minute amounts of a particular allergy-inducing food can lead to life-threatening anaphylactic reactions.

Several animal allergic sensitisation models have been described in the literature, for example intraperitoneal immunisation with protein antigen plus adjuvant, or oral immunisation with protein antigen plus a potent mucosal adjuvant.  The disadvantage of current models such as these is that the route of sensitisation is unnatural. 

The novel allergy models being developed by Dr Forbes are relevant to human exposure because they test the effect of allergen sensitisation through the skin (what we come into contact with) followed by allergen challenge through the airways (what we breathe) and/or gastrointestinal tract (what we eat).

The skin is a unique organ that interfaces with both the immune system and the external environment, making it an ideal target for studying allergy. It presents a natural pathway to sensitisation, with allergen exposure on skin being a constant part of our daily lives.  Furthermore, previous studies have demonstrated that childhood allergic diseases often start in the skin as atopic dermatitis (eczema) and later progress to the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.

The outcome of this cutting-edge research will be the development of sophisticated and physiologically relevant experimental models of allergy that can be used to assess the benefits and safety of New Zealand foods, nutritional products and biopharmaceuticals. 


Related publication

Forbes EE, Groschwitz K, Abonia JP, Brandt EB, Cohen E, Blanchard C, Ahrens R, Seidu L, McKenzie A, Strait R, Finkelman FD, Foster PS, Matthaei KI, Rothenberg ME, Hogan SP (2008) IL-9- and mast cell-mediated intestinal permeability predisposes to oral antigen hypersensitivity. J Exp Med, 205:897-913 & Nature Rev Immunol, 8:321