Advances in Allergen Immunotherapy: Current Concepts and Future Directions
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Immunology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 January 2026 | Viewed by 2
Special Issue Editor
Interests: allergy; allergen immunotherapy; food allergy; eosinophilic esophagitis; clinical immunology; medical physiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Allergen immunotherapy remains the only causative treatment currently available for allergic diseases. It was first introduced in 1911 by the pioneers Leonard Noon and John Freeman to treat "hay fever"–the former term for allergic rhinitis–using pollen extracts. Since then, significant progress has been made: in addition to the original subcutaneous route, the sublingual route is now widely used, offering improved safety, ease of administration, and sustained efficacy.
Further innovations in molecular allergology, alternative administration routes (such as intralymphatic and epicutaneous immunotherapy), depot formulations, novel adjuvants, and updated protocols, along with randomized controlled trials used to rigorously evaluate immunotherapy products, have significantly expanded the therapeutic landscape.
Substantial advances have also been achieved in venom immunotherapy. While initial approaches in the early 1920s used whole-body insect extracts for desensitization, these were replaced in the 1970s by purified venom extracted from venom sacs, leading to increased efficacy. Finally, during recent decades, oral immunotherapy has also been applied to treat food anaphylaxis, using either fresh foods or commercially available food extracts.
This Special Issue aims to collect high-quality reviews and original research on advances in allergen immunotherapy in both children and adults. We welcome contributions addressing all types of immunotherapy and routes, novel protocols, clinical trials, and emerging safety and efficacy considerations. Immunological studies exploring the humoral and cellular mechanisms of immunotherapy are also highly encouraged.
Dr. Constantinos Pitsios
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- allergen immunotherapy
- oral immunotherapy
- Hymenoptera venom
- allergy extracts
- adjuvants
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