The goal of the immunologic interventions studied by the Allergy & Asthma Subgroup is to ameliorate allergen-specific Th2-driven processes and replace these processes with allergen-specific, protective immune responses. Among the diseases that fall under the research mandate of the Allergy & Asthma Subgroup are allergic rhinitis (seasonal and perennial) and allergic asthma. The future focus for treating allergies/asthma moves beyond symptomatic therapies, developing treatments that alter the underlying immune system, and developing protective immunity. Protective immunity consists of allergen-specific immune deviation and allergen-specific tolerance induction.

The ITN has recently released interim results of a protocol for the treatment of allergic rhinitis using unique sequences of DNA that have been found to have immunostimulatory activity (ISS). Allergens that are chemically linked to ISS can be injected into the skin at 100-fold higher amounts than natural allergen, without causing an allergic reaction. In animal models of allergic disease, allergen linked to ISS has been found to be more effective than the allergen extracts currently used clinically. The study is the first clinical trial in which ragweed allergen linked to ISS is used for immunotherapy in ragweed-allergic patients with hay fever.