Response to Immunotherapy

In the last few years there has been a growth in the number of immunotherapies being tested for treatment of food allergy. There is a diversity of responses to each of these new treatments, with some experiencing positive benefits and others having less benefit or not tolerating the treatment. This heterogeneity is an opportunity to learn about underlying immune mechanisms of tolerance and allergy.

We study the immune response to foods, including allergen-specific T cells, basophils, and other cells to understand why some individuals have long-lasting benefit from their treatment. In CoFAR7, we found that a high baseline frequency of Type 2 CD4+ T cells was associated with treatment failure, which suggests that targeting these cells may benefit those who can’t tolerate oral immunotherapy. In the OUTMATCH study, which is testing the impact of omalizumab and multi-food oral immunotherapy, we are currently examining the whole blood response to allergen and anti-IgE stimulation by mass cytometry to identify predictors of treatment response.