Proteomics for Allergy: from Proteins to the Patients.

Proteomics encompasses a variety of approaches unraveling both the structural features, post-translational modifications, and abundance of proteins. As of today, proteomic studies have shed light on the primary structure of about 850 allergens, enabling the design of microarrays for improved molecular diagnosis. Proteomic methods including mass spectrometry allow as well to investigate protein-protein interactions, thus yielding precise information on critical epitopes on the surface of allergens. Mass spectrometry is now being applied to the unambiguous identification, characterization, and comprehensive quantification of allergens in a variety of matrices, as diverse as food samples and allergen immunotherapy drug products. As such, it represents a method of choice for quality testing of allergen immunotherapy products.