BINDING OF ALLERGENS TO LIPOSOMES FOR IMMUNOTHERAPY

THIS STUDY SEEKS TO ENCAPSULATE STANDARDIZED ALLERGENS AND BIOLOGICAL RESPONSE MODIFIERS (BRMS) TO DIFFERENT LIPOSOMES AND STUDY THE EFFECT OF THIS MODIFICATION ON THEIR ALLERGENICITY AND ANTIGENICITY USING IN VITRO TECHNIQUES. IT IS HOPED THAT THE MODIFICATION OF THE ALLERGEN CAUSED BY BINDING TO LIPOSOMES WITH OR WITHOUT BRMS WILL CORRECT THE FAULTY REGULATION IN T-CELL FUNCTION AND MAY LEAD TO PRODUCTION OF IGG-BLOCKING ANTIBODIES BUT NOT IGE. IN PHASE I, IT IS PLANNED TO: (1) ENCAPSULATE RAGWEED OR JUNE GRASS TO A DIFFERENT PHOSPHOLIPID COMPOSITION (LIPOSOME), (2) ENCAPSULATE RAGWEED OR JUNE GRASS AND AN IMMUNE POTENTIATOR SUCH AS ACYLATED MURAMYL DIPEPTIDE (MDP) TO LIPOSOMES, AND (3) CHECK THE STABILITY OF THE LIPOSOME-ENCAPSULATED ALLERGEN AND/OR MDP BY PREPARATION OF RADIOLABELED PRODUCTS AND MEASURING RADIOACTIVITY IN THE SUPERNATANTS. MONONUCLEAR CELLS FROM CONTROL AND ATOPIC PATIENTS WILL BE INCUBATED IN A TISSUE CULTURE SYSTEM WITH DIFFERENT CONCENTRATIONS OF SOLUBLE RAGWEED, JUNE GRASS, OR LIPOSOME-ENCAPSULATED ALLERGEN WITH OR WITHOUT MDP. SAMPLESWILL BE MEASURED FOR THE LEVEL OF HISTAMINE RELEASED FROM THE BASOPHILS AND FOR THE AMOUNT OF ALLERGEN-SPECIFIC IGG OR IGE. CELLS WILL BE COUNTED, AND A DECREASE IN THE NUMBERS OF IGE PLAQUE-FORMING CELLS AND IGE CONTENT WITH AN INCREASE IN ALLERGEN-SPECIFIC-BLOCKING IGG ANTIBODIES IN THE CULTURE SYSTEM CONTAINING LIPOSOME-ENCAPSULATED ALLERGENS WILL BE INDICATIVE OF REDUCED ALLERGENCITY BUT ENHANCED ANTIGENICITY.