New pharmaceutical dosage forms for allergy treatment

Abstract

Specific immunotherapy involves certain drawbacks which could be minimized by the use of appropriate adjuvants, capable of amplifying the right immune response with minimal side effects. In this context, we review different types of immunotherapy vehicles and coadyuvants. We describe previous studies by our group in which we demonstrated the adjuvant capacity of Gantrez® AN nanoparticles, which can effectively enhance the immune response. We employed two types of nanoparticles (with and without LPS of Brucella ovis as immunomodulator) within capsulated ovoalbumin and Lollium perenne extract, tested on a model of mice sensitized to this allergenic mixture. In the challenge experiment involving the sensitized mice, differences in the mortality rate and in the MCP-1 levels were found between the treated groups and the control. Under the experimental conditions of this model of mice pre-sensitized to L. perenne, Gantrez®AN nanoparticles appeared to be a good strategy for immunotherapy. We finally tested these carriers administered by the oral route and found that they were able to protect a model of mice sensitized to ovalbumin from anaphylactic shock.