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New Insights into Cockroach Allergens

  • Allergens (RK Bush and JA Woodfolk, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Allergy and Asthma Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review addresses the most recent developments on cockroach allergen research in relation to allergic diseases, especially asthma.

Recent Findings

The number of allergens relevant to cockroach allergy has recently expanded considerably up to 12 groups. New X-ray crystal structures of allergens from groups 1, 2, and 5 revealed interesting features with implications for allergen standardization, sensitization, diagnosis, and therapy.

Summary

Cockroach allergy is strongly associated with asthma particularly among children and young adults living in inner-city environments, posing challenges for disease control. Environmental interventions targeted at reducing cockroach allergen exposure have provided conflicting results. Immunotherapy may be a way to modify the natural history of cockroach allergy and decrease symptoms and asthma severity among sensitized and exposed individuals. The new information on cockroach allergens is important for the assessment of allergen markers of exposure and disease, and for the design of immunotherapy trials.

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References

Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of Importance •• Of Major Importance

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Acknowledgments

Part of the research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R01AI077653 (PI: AP and MDC). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Research carried out in Brazil by LKA has been supported by São Paulo State Research Funding Agency (FAPESP) and Brazilian National Research Council – National Institutes of Science and Technology, Institute of Investigation in Immunology (CNPq–INCT–iii). This study was supported in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Z01- ES102906-01, GAM).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indoor Biotechnologies, Inc., 700 Harris Street, Charlottesville, VA, 22903, USA

    Anna Pomés & Martin D. Chapman

  2. Genome Integrity and Structural Biology Laboratory, Intramural Program, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, MD-MR01, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA

    Geoffrey A. Mueller

  3. Integrative Bioinformatics, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health, 111 T.W. Alexander Drive, MD-MR01, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA

    Thomas A. Randall

  4. Department of Medicine, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, University of Sao Paulo, Av. Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirao Preto, SP, 14049-900, Brazil

    L. Karla Arruda

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  1. Anna Pomés
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  2. Geoffrey A. Mueller
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  3. Thomas A. Randall
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Correspondence to Anna Pomés.

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Conflict of Interest

Drs. Chapman and Pomés declare a grant from NIAID/NIH and are employed by Indoor Biotechnologies. Dr. Arruda reports grants from São Paulo State Research Funding Agency (FAPESP), grants from Brazilian National Research Council – National Institutes of Science and Technology and Institute of Investigation in Immunology (CNPq–INCT–iii). In addition, Drs. Arruda and Chapman have a United States Patent, number 5,869,288. February 1999 issued. Drs. Randall and Mueller declare no conflicts of interest relevant to this manuscript.

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Pomés, A., Mueller, G.A., Randall, T.A. et al. New Insights into Cockroach Allergens. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 17, 25 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-017-0694-1

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