Food proteins from different allergen families sensitize Balb/c mice to family-specific immune responses

Based on the risk assessment of genetically modified plants, according to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 503/201321 "In cases when known functional aspects of the newly expressed protein or structural similarity to known strong adjuvants may indicate possible adjuvant activity, the applicant shall assess the possible role of these proteins as adjuvants". To further investigate the topic, an EFSA procurement was launched requesting a comprehensive literature review and critically appraisal on adjuvanticity and immunogenicity of proteins. A systematic literature search and critical review was performed, identifying 299 relevant publications. From the evaluation of the relevant literature emerged that: i) a clear classification of adjuvant and immunogens of proteins cannot be done; ii) structural features able to modulate adjuvanticity and immunogenicity are mainly ascribed to therapeutic proteins and in the context of allergenicity and cross-reactivity; iii) factors affecting the propensity of a protein to stimulate immune response are aggregation, thermal processing, digestion, food matrix, among others; iv) different proteins are described to have immunomodulatory effects; v) risk assessment of adjuvant and immunogenic behaviour of proteins requires specific methodologies that can be adapted from other fields; vi) adjuvanticity and immunogenicity of Cry proteins in certain experimental conditions seems plausible but due to low dosage, oral route of administration, food and feed processing and digestion, it is unlikely to emerge as a safety issue in food and feed; vii) eliciting an immune response is a very complex matter as the body responds to immune offence by inducing many processes. Based on these considerations, it is expected that the availability of new humanized animal models and the possibility to deploy artificial intelligent systems on the vastity of human data will become a general direction aiming to help answering specific questions relating to the immune systems, including the adjuvanticity and immunogenicity of food/feed proteins.

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Complex TNF-α B cell epitope MAP vaccine alleviates murine ulcerative colitis

Sun

Pan

Zhang

et al. 2019

Int J Mol Med

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The present study aimed to develop a tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) B-cell epitope/IL-1β helper T lymphocyte epitope complex MAP vaccine for the alleviation of ulcerative colitis (Uc) in mice. The B cell epitopes of murine TNF-α (mTNF-α) were predicted in silico and coupled with the universal interleukin 1β (IL-1β) helper T-cell epitope peptide VQGEESNdK to synthesize the eight-branched MAP vaccine. Then, the immunological effects of the MAP vaccine were assessed in vitro and in vivo, as well as its impacts on dAI index, serum dAO levels, colon tissue tight junction protein amounts, ultrastructural changes, and MPO activity in BALB/c mice with Uc. The amino acids LTLRSSSQNSSdKPV at positions 78-92 of mTNF-α may constitute the dominant B cell epitope. Based on this finding, an eight-branched peptide structure, the TNF-α B-cell epitope/IL-1β helper T-cell epitope complex MAP vaccine, was synthesized. Indirect ELISA confirmed that MAP had a high affinity with commercialized mTNF-α antibodies. Meanwhile, MAP induced high specific antibody titers in vivo, reduced the dAI score, serum MPO activity, colorectal lymph node colony count, ultrastructural injuries, colon tissue histological index score and MPO activity in Uc mice, while increasing the expression levels of occludin, claudin1 and ZO1 in colon tissues. The synthetic complex MAP vaccine has good antigenicity and immunogenicity, and can alleviate Uc in mouse models.

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Food proteins from different allergen families sensitize Balb/c mice to family-specific immune responses

Cited by 3 publications

References 18 publications

Overviews of Food Allergy and Evaluating Methods Used in Allergenic Assessment of GMOs with Application Examples Conducted in Our Laboratory

Overviews of Food Allergy and Evaluating Methods Used in Allergenic Assessment of GMOs with Application Examples Conducted in Our Laboratory

Literature review in support of adjuvanticity/immunogenicity assessment of proteins

Complex TNF-α B cell epitope MAP vaccine alleviates murine ulcerative colitis

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