Obiettivo The prevalence of allergic diseases (allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis, allergic bronchial asthma and atopic dermatitis) is high and steadily increasing. In Europe the prevalence of hayfever ranges between 8.4 and 14% in adults. Although it is known that IgE antibody synthesis by B cells and T cell response predominantly of the Th2-type (i.e. producing high levels of IL4 and IL5 and no IFN gamma) characterize the immune response to allergens, the regulatory mechanisms and molecules have not been completely identified. This gap in bais knowledge is a major obstacle towards the development of a rational approach to prevention and therapy. The cure of clinical symptoms and the prevention of allergy is only partially obtained using classical immunotherapy, i.e. hyposensitization with allergenic extracts. The biological basis of the therapeutic action of this as well as of recently proposed forms of therapy (e.g. peptide based) is not known.It this project we propose an as experimental model an allergy of great epidemiological and clinical relevance. Parietaria, a weed diffused in Southern Europe, causes between 40 and 80% of adult pollinosis. The objective of the study is to dissect the immune response, and to identify some of the mechanisms shifting it towards allergy.i) The establishment of a new allergen specific experimental model.ii) The characterization of epitopes of the major allergen for B and T cells represented by synthetic peptides or fusion proteins. These in contrast to epitopes from other allergens (eg based on allergy to mites and gramineae) appear to be highly dominant in human immune response dna represent a unique tool to dissect the regulatory mechanisms shifting towards allergy the immune response and may be the basis for the design of reagents for diagnosis (peptides, fusion proteins carrying B cell epitopes) or for peptide-based innovative therapy (peptides carrying T cell epitopes).The development of new technologies for sorting or identigying in situ cells according to the expressed products. Campo scientifico medical and health sciencesclinical medicinepneumologyasthmanatural sciencesbiological sciencesgeneticsDNAnatural sciencesbiological sciencesbiochemistrybiomoleculesproteinsmedical and health sciencesclinical medicineallergologymedical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologyimmunotherapy Programma(i) FP3-BIOTECH 1 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of biotechnology, 1990-1994 Argomento(i) 2.3 - Communication systems within living matter Invito a presentare proposte Data not available Meccanismo di finanziamento CSC - Cost-sharing contracts Coordinatore NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL OF ITALY Contributo UE Nessun dato Indirizzo Via Guglielmo Marconi 10 80125 NAPOLI Italia Mostra sulla mappa Costo totale Nessun dato Partecipanti (2) Classifica in ordine alfabetico Classifica per Contributo UE Espandi tutto Riduci tutto UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE Italia Contributo UE Nessun dato Indirizzo Piazza San Marco 4 50121 FIRENZE Mostra sulla mappa Costo totale Nessun dato Universität Köln Germania Contributo UE Nessun dato Indirizzo Albert Magnus Platz 1 50923 Köln Mostra sulla mappa Costo totale Nessun dato