METHOD FOR ENCAPSULATING ALLERGENS IN NANOPARTICLES OF CHITOSAN AND ALGINATE FOR REDUCING THE RECOGNITION OF ALLERGENS BY IGE ANTIBODIES WHEN CONDUCTING ALLERGEN-SPECIFIC IMMUNOTHERAPY

摘要

The invention relates to the fields of immunology and medicine and concerns the artificial construction of "core/shell"-type micro/nanoparticles containing, in the core thereof, extracts of natural allergens and/or recombinant allergens, conjugated to chitosan, and covered in an additional shell made of sodium alginate. The encapsulated allergens do not bind to IgE antibodies, but rather maintain protein immunogenicity and cause the formation of protective IgGs when administered subcutaneously, intranasally, sublingually, orally or transepidermally. The encapsulated allergens and proteins are intended for performing specific immunotherapy with the aim of inducing a controllable protective humoral IgG-mediated immune response to an allergen which suppresses a pathogenic IgE-mediated immune response. The field of medical application comprises all forms of pollen, food, fungal and common allergies. The biological target of the encapsulated allergens is an adaptive (antigen-specific) immune response including antigen-presenting cells (macrophages, dendritic and B-cells) and T and B cells.