Biomed´s Spiked Allergens

Spiked Lipocalins for allergen immunotherapy

Lipocalins are animal proteins with a molecular pocket to carry micronutrients, such as iron or vitamins. We have discovered that lipocalins can be spiked with micronutrients to make immune cells tolerant. We apply this principle in our product immunoBON®.

Also some plant and fungal proteins can act “lipocalin-like”. For instance, when the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 is filled with micronutrients, it is no more allergenic, but induces tolerance to the immune system.

Therefore, allergen proteins spiked with micronutrients are empowered to counterbalance allergy. Biomed´s vision is that this discovery will enhance the efficacy of allergen specific immunotherapy.

Model by Prof. L.F. Pacios, Madrid.

Intellectual property

EP20140150965, 2014-01-13; US201615111162, 2016-07-12; Method and means for diagnosing and treating allergy. Inventors: Franziska Roth-Walter, Erika Jensen-Jarolim, Cristina Gomez-Casado, Araceli Diaz Perales, Luis Fernandez Pacios, Josef Singer.

Key Publications

Bet v 1 from birch pollen is a lipocalin-like protein acting as allergen only when devoid of iron by promoting Th2 lymphocytes. Roth-Walter F, Gomez-Casado C, Pacios LF, Willensdorfer A, Moskovskich A, Einhorn L, Mothes –Luksch N, Roth GA, Singer J, Diaz-Perales A, Jensen-Jarolim E. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2014: Jun 20;289(25):17416-17421. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M114.567875.

Retinoic acid-loading of the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 may improve specific allergen immunotherapy: In silico, in vitro and in vivo data in BALB/c mice. Hufnagl K, Afify SM, Braun N, Wagner S, Wallner M, Hauser M, Wiederstein M, Gadermaier G, Wildner S, Redegeld FA, Blokhuis BR, Hofstetter G, Pali-Schöll I, Roth-Walter F, Pacios LF, Jensen-Jarolim E. Allergy. 2020 Aug;75(8):2073-2077. doi: 10.1111/all.14259.

Bet v 1 from birch pollen is a hypoallergen with vitamin D3 in the pocket. Hufnagl K, Kromp L, Bianchini R, Afify SM, Wiederstein M, Redegeld FA, Zuvalova I, Dvorak Z, Hofstetter G, Roth-Walter F, Pacios LF, Jensen-Jarolim E. Allergy. 2021 Aug 14. doi: 10.1111/all.15052.

Binding to Iron Quercetin Complexes increases the antioxidant capacity of the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 and reduces Its allergenicity. Regner A, Szepannek N, Wiederstein M , Fakhimahmadi A, Pacios LF, Blokhuis BR , Redegeld FA, Hofstetter G, Dvorak Z, Jensen-Jarolim E, Hufnagl K, Roth-Walter F. Antioxidants 2023, 12, 42. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox12010042