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Identification of Major Cashew and Walnut Allergens

Technology Benefits

Greater sensitivity than previous methods Provides well defined reagents for testing and vaccinations would reduce the reisk of side effects. Increase the reliability of allergy testsHypoallergenic nuts would lessen health risk to allergy sufferers and reduce potential liability of food processors.

Technology Application

Test for cashew and walnut allergies Generate vaccines for patients with nut allergiesDevelopment of genetic modifications of the proteins in cashew and walnut plants to generate hypoallergenic plants.

Detailed Technology Description

Researchers have identified allergens in cashews, walnuts, pecans, almonds, chestnuts, and pistachios using serum from allergic patients to screen cDNA expression libraries. Once cloned and expressed, the offending proteins are subjected to epitope mapping techniques and mutagenesis to generate a hypoallergenic version. At the same time, researchers are developing polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies to tree nut allergens to be used by the food industry in testing suspected foods for contamination with allergens.

Supplementary Information

Patent Number: US7250489B2
Application Number: US2002251918A
Inventor: Roux, Kenneth H. | Sathe, Shridhar K. | Robotham, Jason M. | Teuber, Suzanne S.
Priority Date: 20 Sep 2001
Priority Number: US7250489B2
Application Date: 20 Sep 2002
Publication Date: 31 Jul 2007
IPC Current: A61K003804 | C07K000500 | C07K000700 | C07K0014415 | G01N0033564 | A61K003900
US Class: 530327 | 4350071 | 43500792 | 436501 | 530300
Title: Purified linear polypeptide epitope from walnuts and associated methods
Usefulness: Purified linear polypeptide epitope from walnuts and associated methods
Summary: (I) is useful in a test for detecting a walnut allergy in a patient, which involves contacting the patient with (I) for detecting the allergy. The contacting step comprises injecting (I) below the skin of the patient. (I) comprises at least one mutation in the sequence. The mutation is chosen from a deletion, substitution and addition. (I) is also useful in a diagnostic test for detecting anti-walnut IgE in a patient for indicating an allergy to walnuts, which involves reacting patient's serum with (I), separating (I) from unreacted patient serum, reacting (I) with a labeled human IgE-reactive agent after separating from unreacted patient serum, separating (I) from unreacted labeled human IgE-reactive agent, and directly or indirectly detecting the labeled human IgE-reactive agent bound to (I) after separating from unreacted agent and thus indicating the presence in the patient's serum of anti-walnut IgE (claimed).
Novelty: Novel purified immunoglobulin-E binding immunogenic polypeptide having epitopes to bind Jug r 1 of walnut Juglans regia, useful for detecting walnut allergies in patients

Industry

Biomedical

Sub Category

Medical Composition

Application No.

7763721

Others

Tech ID/UC Case

23432/2002-127-0

Related Cases

2002-127-0, 2002-155-0, 2003-142-0

*Abstract

Cashews and walnuts are commonly used in snack foods and as an ingredient in a veriety of processed foods, such as bakery and confectionary products. For those who are allergic to those nuts, consuming them can lead to reactions ranging from dermatitis to deadly anaphylactic shock. Researchers at the University of California, Davis in conjunction with Florida State University have identified specific amino acid sequences in walnut and cashew proteins that produce allergic reactions in humans.

*IP Issue Date

Jul 27, 2010

*Principal Investigator

Name: Jason Robotham

Department:

Name: Suzanne Teuber

Department:

Name: Kenneth Roux

Department:

Name: Shridhar Sathe

Department:

Country/Region

USA