Abstract
[Extract] Discovery of allergens in various food and inhalant sources is central to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of allergic reactions. Allergen characterization is the most important underlying factor for better patient management and the design and development of novel immunotherapeutics.1 Of the "Big eight" allergen food groups, shellfish presents a unique challenge in terms of allergen discovery due to the large number and diversity of consumed species, leading to heterogeneity of allergen structure and cross-reactivity among various sources. At present, 31 crustacean allergens have been officially registered in the World Health Organization and International Union of Immunological Societies Allergen Nomenclature Database as compared with 4 mollusk allergens due to pitfalls in current allergy discovery approaches. Cosensitization of patients with crustacean and mollusk allergy is often described; however, the current diagnostic approaches to manage these patients are not based on sufficient molecular knowledge of these shellfish allergens.
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