Investigation of the Impact of BECC-Derived Adjuvants in Allergen-Specific Immunotherapy 2260252

Abstract Introduction Allergen specific immunotherapy (AIT) is a treatment for allergies that requires a gradual increase in exposure to an allergen to eventually allow patient tolerance through shifting memory B cells from producing allergic antibody isotype IgE towards production of non-allergic isotypes like IgG2a. Immunoadjuvants can be added to AIT to improve the efficacy of the treatment as these adjuvants create a more robust immune response when combined with an antigen. Methods A murine model of ovalbumin allergic asthma in BALB/c mice was used to investigate the capacity of lipid A mimetic BECC adjuvants 438 and 470 in combination with AIT to decrease measures of allergy. Blood serum was collected at different time points throughout this study and antibody production was measured using antigen-specific indirect serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). Results The antibodies evaluated were IgE, IgG1, and IgG2a. The abundant production of antibody isotype IgE is a defining characteristic of allergic response while antibody isotypes IgG1 and IgG2a allowed for visualization of whether the adjuvanted treatment led to a shift toward tolerance. Lung histopathology was also analyzed to determine airway inflammation and lung epithelial thickness. Conclusion Ongoing experiments measure antibody production at intermediate time points as well as investigate proteins of interest. This potential improvement of AIT has the potential to greatly help allergy sufferers worldwide. Funding Source OURCI Summer Project Grant, Fisher College Endowed Chair, Bridges to the Doctorate, FSCM Student Research Grant Topic Categories Immediate Hypersensitivity, Asthma, and Allergic Responses (HYP)