Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in key cytokines may modulate food allergy phenotypes.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can play a direct or indirect role in phenotypic expression in food allergy pathogenesis. Our goal was to quantitate the expression of SNPs in relevant cytokines that were expressed in food allergic patients. SNPs in cytokine genes IL-4 and IL-10 are known to be important in IgE generation and regulation.

Proteomic Approach to Evaluate Mechanisms That Contribute to Food Allergenicity: Comparative 2D-DIGE Analysis of Radioallergosorbent Test Positive and Negative Patients.

Proteomic profiles of RAST(+) subjects with severe food allergies and RAST(-) subjects were compared using 2D-DIGE analysis to obtain candidate biomarkers specific to food allergies. Our analysis highlighted 52 proteins that were differentially expressed between the RAST(+) and RAST(-) groups of which 37 were successfully identified that include chondroitin sulfates, zinc finger proteins, C-type lectins, retinoic acid binding proteins, heat shock proteins, myosin, cytokines, mast cell expressed proteins, and MAP kinases. Biological network analysis tool Metacore revealed that most of these regulated proteins play a role in immune tolerance, hypersensitivity and modulate cytokine patterns inducing a Th2 response that typically results in IgE-mediated allergic response which has a direct or indirect biological link to food allergy.

Nanotherapeutics Using an HIV-1 Poly A and Transactivator of the HIV-1 LTR-(TAR-) Specific siRNA.

HIV-1 replication can be efficiently inhibited by intracellular expression of an siRNA targeting the viral RNA. We used a well-validated siRNA (si510) which targets the poly A/TAR (transactivator of the HIV-1 LTR) site and suppresses viral replication. Nanotechnology holds much potential for impact in the field of HIV-1 therapeutics, and nanoparticles such as quantum rods (QRs) can be easily functionalized to incorporate siRNA forming stable nanoplexes that can be used for gene silencing.