Advances in seafood allergy research: Allergen detection and allergen-specific immunotherapy

Seafood is considered one of the most popular food choice because of its low-fat content and high-quality proteins. A number of studies have reported the potential benefits of high seafood consumption, such as providing valuable sources of omega-3 fatty acids, taurine and selenium as well as its association with reduced risk of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cancers, etc. Shellfish is the top causative food for food-induced anaphylactic events in the USA and also the dominant sensitizing and anaphylaxis-inducing allergens in many Asian countries. This chapter discusses the current understanding of the molecular characteristics of seafood allergens, such as the molecular identity, cross-reactivity, effects of food processing and the methods of detection of seafood allergens. It also describes established animal models of seafood hypersensitivity and cutting edge strategies towards designing safe and effective therapeutic treatments for seafood allergies, including potential disease-modifying allergen-specific immunotherapies.