J. Thalhamer

Non-anaphylactic surface-exposed peptides of the major birch pollen allergen, Bet v 1, for preventive vaccination

Background Almost 100 million allergic patients are sensitized to the major birch pollen allergen, Bet v 1, a 17 kDa protein containing most of the IgE epitopes present in pollens of trees belonging to the Fagales order and plant‐derived food.

Characterization of Der p 21, a new important allergen derived from the gut of house dust mites.

Background:  The house dust mite (HDM) Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus is a major allergen source eliciting allergic asthma. The aim of the study was to identify new important HDM allergens associated with allergic asthma.

Characterization of the protective and therapeutic efficiency of a DNA vaccine encoding the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1a

Background:  An estimated 100 million individuals suffer from birch pollen allergy. More than 95% of birch pollen‐allergic subjects react with the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1a, and almost 60% of them are sensitized exclusively to this allergen.

Microarray and allergenic activity assessment of milk allergens

Background Cows milk is one of the most common causes of food allergy affecting approximately 2.5% of infants in the first years of their life. However, only limited information regarding the allergenic activity of individual cows milk allergens is available.

Molecular characterization of wheat allergens specifically recognized by patients suffering from wheat-induced respiratory allergy

Wheat (Triticum aestivum) is an important allergen source responsible for various clinical manifestations of allergy (i.e. food allergy, pollen allergy, respiratory allergy to flour‐Bakers asthma).

Reducing allergenicity by altering allergen fold: a mosaic protein of Phl p 1 for allergy vaccination.

Background:  The major timothy grass pollen allergen, Phl p 1, resembles the allergenic epitopes of natural group I grass pollen allergens and is recognized by more than 95% of grass‐pollen‐allergic patients. Our objective was the construction, purification and immunologic characterization of a genetically modified derivative of the major timothy grass pollen allergen, Phl p 1 for immunotherapy of grass pollen allergy.

Passive immunization: a method of enhancing the immune response against antigen mixtures

Antigenic competition is known to be a widespread phenomenon when using crude extracts of antigens (e.g., Escherichia coli cytoplasmic proteins) for immunization. This non-specific form of immune suppression can be partially overcome by passive immunization with antibodies against dominant antigens (which are the suppressive molecules) before injection of the antigenic mixture. Blocking these immunodominant antigens or antigenic determinants by a passively administered antibody permits antibody responses against hitherto weakly or non-immunogenic molecules.

PROTEINACEOUS AND IMMUNOCHEMICAL DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN THE OVAL AND FUSIFORM MORPHOTYPES OF PHAEODACTYLUM TRICORNUTUM (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE)1

Two morphotypes, fusiform and oval, were isolated from a single clone of the diatom Phaeodactylum tricornutum Bohlin and maintained as subclones by culturing in liquid and solid substrates, respectively. Salinity of the medium, from brackish to marine, had no effect on expression of the phenotypes. The oval cell is generated endogenously within a “transformed”fusiform cell upon transfer from liquid medium to agar plates. With the light microscope, normal and “transformed”fusiform cells, prior to giving rise to oval cells, can be discriminated by means of their staining response to toluidine blue.

Recombinant allergen-based monitoring of antibody responses during injection grass pollen immunotherapy and after 5 years of discontinuation.

To cite this article: Gadermaier E, Staikuniene J, Scheiblhofer S, Thalhamer J, Kundi M, Westritschnig K, Swoboda I, Flicker S, Valenta R. Recombinant allergen–based monitoring of antibody responses during injection grass pollen immunotherapy and after 5 years of discontinuation. Allergy 2011; 66: 1174–1182.

Inhibition of type I allergic responses with nanogram doses of replicon-based DNA vaccines.

Background:  Allergic diseases have become a major public health problem in developed countries; yet, no reliable, safe and consistently effective treatment is available. DNA immunization has been shown to prevent and balance established allergic responses, however, the high dose of conventional DNA vaccines necessary for the induction of anti‐allergic reactions and their poor immunogenicity in primates require the development of new allergy DNA vaccines. We evaluated protective and therapeutic effects of a Semliki‐Forest Virus replicase‐based vs a conventional DNA vaccine in BALB/c mice using the model allergen β‐galactosidase.