Pollensomes as Natural Vehicles for Pollen Allergens.

Olive (Olea europaea) pollen constitutes one of the most important allergen sources in the Mediterranean countries and some areas of the United States, South Africa, and Australia. Recently, we provided evidence that olive pollen releases nanovesicles of respirable size, named generically pollensomes, during in vitro germination. Olive pollensomes contain allergens, such as Ole e 1, Ole e 11, and Ole e 12, suggesting a possible role in allergy.

Bystander suppression to unrelated allergen sensitization through intranasal administration of tolerogenic exosomes in mouse.

Exosomes represent a new family of bioactive nanovesicles (30-100 nm in diameter) secreted by different cell types whose appealing features can be exploited for designing vaccines in the context of several human diseases. We previously reported the potential of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF)-derived tolerogenic exosomes (Exo(Tol)) to be used as a nasal allergy vaccine in a mouse model of sensitization to Ole e 1, the main allergen of olive pollen. The aim of the study was to investigate whether such nanovesicles specific to Ole e 1 can also prevent the sensitization to other unrelated allergen, as Bet v 1 from birch pollen.

Exosomes from bronchoalveolar fluid of tolerized mice prevent allergic reaction.

Exosomes are nanovesicles originating from multivesicular bodies that are secreted by a variety of cell types. The dual capability of exosomes to promote immunity or to induce tolerance has prompted their clinical use as vehicles for vaccination against different human diseases. In the present study, the effect of allergen-specific exosomes from tolerized mice on the development of allergen-induced allergic response was determined using a mouse model.