Role of nanostructures in allergy: diagnostics, treatments,and safety.

Nanotechnology is science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers. It has led to the development of nanomaterials, which behave very differently from materials with larger scales and can have a wide range of applications in biomedicine. The physical and chemical properties of materials of such small compounds depend mainly on the size, shape, composition, and functionalisation of the system. Nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, liposomes, polymers, dendrimers, nanogels, among others, can be nanoengineeried for controlling all parameters, including their functionalisation with ligands, which provide the desired interaction with the immunological system, i.e. dendritic cell receptors to activate and/or modulate the response, as well as specific IgE, or effector cell receptors. However, undesired issues related to toxicity and hypersensitivity responses can also happen and would need evaluation. There are wide panels of accessible structures, and controlling their physico-chemical properties would permit obtaining safer and more efficient compounds for clinical applications goals, either in diagnosis or treatment.The application of dendrimericantigens, nanoallergens and nanoparticles in allergy diagnosis is very promising since it can improve sensitivity by increasing specific IgE binding, mimicking carrier proteins, or enhancing signal detection. Additionally, in the case of immunotherapy, glycodendrimers, liposomes, polymers, and nanoparticles have shown interest,behaving as platforms of allergenic structures, adjuvants or protectors of allergen from degradation or having a depot capacity.Taken together, the application of nanotechnology to allergy shows promising facts facing important goals related to theimprovement of diagnosis as well as specific immunotherapy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.