About this Research Topic
Allergic diseases are a group of disorders caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to harmless allergens in the environment, which include allergic rhinitis, asthma, anaphylaxis, food allergies, eczema, and drug allergies. They represent a global public health problem affecting up to 50% of the population. TH2 cells have long been believed to play a pivotal role in allergic immune responses. However, many patients derive less clinical benefit from therapies targeting type 2 responses, suggesting that the cellular mechanisms driving allergic diseases are far more complex and likely heterogeneous. Allergen immunotherapy (AIT) is the only medical intervention that can modify the natural course of allergic diseases but, to date, there are no validated biomarkers to monitor the clinical response to AIT, and the mechanisms of allergy tolerance after AIT remain elusive.
In the past decade, our understanding of immunity and inflammation in allergic diseases has been profoundly transformed by the discovery of new subsets of lymphocytes and their novel functions. This raised key questions in the field that need to be addressed, such as: (i) understanding the novel role of lymphoid subsets in the development of allergic diseases; (ii) identifying new cell subsets in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases and tolerance induction during AIT; (iii) identifying the biomarkers to monitor or predict the efficacy of AIT. Hopefully, the answer to these questions will inspire the development of new strategies for the prevention and treatment of allergic diseases.
In this Research Topic, we aim to gather original cutting-edge research covering different aspects of pathogenesis and treatment of allergic diseases. We welcome the submission of Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Original Research and Clinical Trial articles that address the following topics:
• Role of lymphoid subsets in allergic diseases
• New cell subsets’ identification in allergic diseases
• Biomarkers for allergen immunotherapy
• Cellular mechanisms underlying allergen immunotherapy
We acknowledge the initiation and support of this Research Topic by the International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS). We hereby state publicly that the IUIS has had no editorial input in articles included in this Research Topic, thus ensuring that all aspects of this Research Topic are evaluated objectively, unbiased by any specific policy or opinion of the IUIS.
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
