Liver-targeted allergen immunotherapy rapidly and safely induces antigen-specific tolerance to treat allergic airway disease in mice

Abstract

Current asthma treatments manage disease symptoms but fail to address the underlying cause of allergic disease. Allergen immunotherapy holds the promise for durable disease control by establishing allergen-specific tolerance through repeated introduction of native allergens; however, its efficacy can be limited by long interventions, reactions upon administration, and poor patient compliance. Here, we developed a rapid, safe, and effective liver-targeted allergen immunotherapy (LIT) to provide long-term disease control. We developed LIT tolerogens from native respiratory allergens, which induced antigen-specific regulatory T (T_reg) cells in vivo with only two interventions. Synthetic mannosylation of native allergens prevented antibody-mediated recognition and subsequent life-threatening anaphylaxis upon administration. Protein engineering prevented sensitization events that occurred because of the proteolytic activity of native respiratory allergens, which limit the effectiveness of allergen immunotherapy. In preclinical models of allergic asthma, LIT ameliorated clinical, pathological, and serological features, and protection was dependent on antigen-specific T_reg cells. In sensitized mice, LIT provided a year-long control of allergic asthma symptoms in the absence of additional intervention. Last, LIT induced antigen-specific T_reg cells against Der p 1, a major protein in the clinically relevant house dust mite (HDM) respiratory allergen. In mice with established HDM allergy, LIT was well tolerated and provided allergic symptom relief. Together, our data provide a proof of concept that LIT with synthetically mannosylated tolerogens provides a rapid, safe, and effective approach to allergen immunotherapy and holds promise for durable control of allergic asthma.