Development of novel therapy against food allergy in animals.

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In this study, pathogenesis of food allergy in dogs and cats has been investigated with immunological techniques. We found that types I and IV hypersensitivity against food allergens were involved in the pathogenesis of food hypersensitivity in dogs and cats. In terms of cross-reactivity between food and environmental allergens, oral allergy syndrome was reported in a dog sensitive to Japanese cedar pollen as a consequence of cross-reactivity of IgE between the cedar pollen and tomato antigen. We also developed an objective marker to identify offending food allergens by lymphocyte blastogenic responses against food allergens, resulting in a major contribution to veterinary clinical medicine for the diagnosis of food hypersensitivity in dogs. On the other hand, anaphylaxis against canine vaccine was epidemiologically suggested to be associated with food hypersensitivity in dogs. In order to develop novel immunotherapies, dogs experimentally induced allergy showed reduction of bronchial hypersensitivity to allergens by oral immunotherapy using T cell epitopes. We also found that a sequence of CpG motife that effectively induced IFN-g production from peripheral blood mononuclear lymphocytes.Thus, in this study, a major part of pathogenesis of food hypersensitivity in dogs and cats was clearly elucidated, contributing to veterinary clinical medicine. In addition, since the pathogenesis of food hypersensitivity in dogs and cats was very similar to that in humans, these animals would be useful as a nanimal model of spontaneous food allergy.