Allergen-specific immunotherapy aims to correct the underlying immune imbalance associated with specific immunotherapy allergic rhinitis, asthma, and systemic reactions to insect stings. Conventional allergen-specific immunotherapy has proven low dose allergen therapy-related efficacy in these disorders; however most of the data supporting this therapeutic approach have been obtained in adolescents and adults rather than in young children or infants.
Current allergen-specific immunotherapy mechanisms is neither optimally convenient nor perfectly safe; therefore, considerable attention is being focused on alternative routes and dosing formulations such as sublingual immunotherapy and on the development of novel immunotherapy strategies, for example, those involving immunostimulatory DNA sequences which preferentially elicit Th1-dominated immunity and can inhibit developing or ongoing Th2 responses.
Non-invasive forms of immunotherapy, particularly high dose sublingual immunotherapy, hold considerable promise for use in the pediatric population. Concurrent administration of allergen-specific immunotherapy along with non-specific immunomodulators such as anti-IgE antibody also appears to be promising.
