Recombinant allergenic proteins

July 8 is World Allergy Day, a joint initiative by the World Allergy Organization (WAO) and national allergy agencies to raise public awareness of allergic diseases and to work together to prevent allergic reactions and allergic asthma.

Allergic diseases are a group of conditions caused by the body's excessive immune response to specific substances (allergens) and can manifest themselves in a number of different symptoms. Common allergic diseases include allergic asthma, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, hives and atopic dermatitis.

In recent years, the incidence of allergic diseases has risen significantly worldwide, and the World Health Organization has listed allergic diseases as one of the key diseases to be studied and prevented in the 21st century. According to data released by the World Allergy Organization in 2013, the global prevalence of allergic diseases is estimated to be between 10% and 40%.

Allergens are specific substances capable of triggering an allergic reaction, and there are more than a thousand known types of allergens. In clinical practice, allergens are usually categorized into four main groups: inhalant allergens, ingestible allergens, contact allergens, and other types of allergens. These allergens may include pollen, dust mites, certain foods, chemicals, metals, etc. They are ubiquitous in daily life and can be a source of discomfort for allergic individuals.

Allergen detection methods are categorized into in vivo and in vitro tests. In vivo tests include skin prick tests, intradermal tests and patch tests, which are used to diagnose allergies by applying allergens directly to the skin to observe local reactions. In vitro tests include serum-specific IgE tests and total IgE tests, which identify allergens by analyzing IgE antibody levels in the blood. In addition, food provocation tests and allergen component resolution diagnostics (CRD) are two more specific and precise tests: the former involves medically supervised ingestion of a suspected allergenic food in order to observe a reaction, while the latter utilizes recombinant allergenic proteins to accurately identify specific allergenic components.

Accurate allergen testing depends on stable, specific and accurate allergenic raw materials. Recombinant allergen proteins, as a new generation of core assay ingredients, not only have similar properties to natural allergens, but also possess additional advantages over crude allergen extracts and natural purified allergens. These advantages have led in vitro diagnostic companies to increasingly adopt recombinant allergen proteins in order to improve the accuracy of allergen component testing, thereby providing patients with more accurate diagnosis and personalized treatment plans.

CUSABIO provides more than 200 kinds of recombinant allergen proteins, covering a wide range of food allergens such as peanuts, soybeans, shrimps, etc. as well as a wide range of inhalant allergens such as dust mites, fur dander, tree pollen and grass pollen.