Development and preliminary clinical evaluation of a peptide immunotherapy vaccine for cat allergy

BACKGROUND: Allergic sensitization to cat allergens is common and represents a major risk factor for asthma. Specific immunotherapy (SIT) is effective but cumbersome and associated with IgE-dependent adverse events. Immunotherapy targeting allergen-specific T cells, with synthetic peptides representing T-cell epitopes, might improve safety and reduce the duration of treatment. OBJECTIVE: We sought to define major T-cell epitopes of Fel d 1 for …