In the Western society, prevalence and severity of allergies are rapidly increasing. Research in the Allergy Consortium Wageningen (ACW) focuses on solutions for allergy-related matters in the pre-medical stage. i.e. by developing strategies to control allergens and prevent exposure to allergens, so to prevent rather than cure.


For this, it is important to obtain insight in the natural diversity of allergens in important allergenic species.

Our projects include:

• Study of birch pollen allergens, in search of trees with low levels of Bet V 1, the major hay fever allergen
• Study of several allergen families in apple, in order to identify apple cultivars that are safe to use.
• Study of gluten genes in bread wheat and its relatives in the genus Triticum/Aegilops, to identify gliadins that have lower toxicity for Celiac Disease patients, and the develop tools for breeders to use this information in their breeding program.

Publications:

• Bolhaar STHP, WE van de Weg, R van Ree, E Gonzalez-Mancebo, L Zuidmeer, CAFM Bruijnzeel-Koomen, M Fernandez-Rivas, J Jansen, K Hoffmann-Sommergruber, AC Knulst, LJWJ Gilissen (2005) In vivo assessment with prick-to-prick testing and double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge of allergenicity of apple cultivars. JACI 116: 1080-1086   DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2005.07.004
• Gao ZS (2005) Localization of candidate allergen genes on the apple (Malus domestica) genome and their putative allergenicity. PhD Thesis ISBN 90-8504-242-9.
• Gao ZS, WE van de Weg, JG Schaart, G van Arkel, H Breiteneder, K Hoffmann-Sommergruber, LJWJ Gilissen (2005). Genomic characterization and linkage mapping of the apple allergen genes Mal d 2 (thaumatin-like protein) and Mal d 4 (profilin). Theoretical and Applied Genetics 111: 1087–1097
• Gao ZS, WE van de Weg, JG Schaart, IM van der Meer, L Kodde, M Laimer, H Breiteneder H, K Hoffmann-Sommergruber, LJWJ Gilissen (2005). Linkage map positions and allelic diversity of two Mal d 3 (non-specific lipid transfer protein) genes in the cultivated apple (Malus domestica). Theoretical and Applied Genetics 110: 479-491
• Gao ZS, WE van de Weg, JG Schaart, HJ Schouten, DH Tran, LP Kodde, IM van der Meer, AHM van der Geest, J Kodde, H Breiteneder, K Hoffmann-Sommergruber, D Bosch, LJWJ Gilissen (2005) Genomic cloning and linkage mapping of the Mal d 1 (PR-10 ) gene family in apple (Malus domestica). Theoretical and Applied Genetics 111: 171–183
• Gilissen LJWJ, STHP Bolhaar, AC Knulst, L Zuidmeer, R Van Ree, ZS Gao, WE van de Weg WE (2006) Production of hypoallergenic plant foods by selection, breeding and genetic modification. In: Gilissen LJWJ, Wichers HJ, Savelkoul HFJ & Bogers RJ (Eds). Allergy Matters: New Approaches to Allergy Prevention and Management. Springer, p 95-105
• Gilissen LJWJ, STHP Bolhaar, CI Matos, GJA Rouwendal, MJ Boone, FA Krens, L Zuidmeer, A van Leeuwen, J Akkerdaas, K Hoffmann-Sommergruber, AC Knulst, D Bosch, WE van de Weg, R van Ree (2005) Silencing the major apple allergen Mal d 1 by using the RNA interference approach. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology 115: 364-369
• Herpen TWJM van, SV Goryunova, J van der Schoot, M Mitreva, E Salentijn, O Vorst, MF Schenk, PA van Veelen, F Koning, LJM van Soest, B Vosman, D Bosch, RJ Hamer, LJWJ Gilissen, MJM Smulders (2006)  Alpha-gliadin genes from the A, B, and D genomes of wheat contain different sets of celiac disease epitopes. BMC Genomics 7: 1. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/7/1
• Marzban G, H Puehringer, R Dey, S Brynda, Y Ma, A Martinelli, M Zaccarini, E van der Weg, Z Housley, D Kolarich, F Altmann, Margit Laimer (2005) Localisation and distribution of the major allergens in apple fruits. Plant Science 169: 387–394
• Putten, MC van, MF Schenk, B Gremmen, LJ Frewer (2006) Consumers, communication and food allergy. In: Frewer, L.J. and van Trijp, H.(Eds), Understanding Consumer of Food Products. Woodhead Publishers
• Schenk M, AJH van Vliet, MJM Smulders, LJWJ Gilissen (2004) Strategieën voor preventie van hooikoorts. Medisch Contact Themabijlage Allergie ¹04: 3-7
• Schenk MF, LJWJ Gilissen, GD Esselink, MJM Smulders (2006) Seven different genes encode a diverse mixture of isoforms of Bet v 1, the major birch pollen allergen. BMC Genomics 7: 168. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2164/7/168
• Schenk MF, Van Vliet AJH, MJM Smulders, LJWJ Gilissen (2006) Strategies for prevention and mitigation of hay fever. In: Gilissen LJWJ, Wichers HJ, Savelkoul HFJ & Bogers RJ (Eds). Allergy Matters: New Approaches to Allergy Prevention and Management. Springer, 131-143
• Spaenij-Dekking L, Y Kooy-Winkelaar, P van Veelen, JW Drijfhout, H Jonker, L van Soest, MJM Smulders, D Bosch, LJWJ Gilissen, F Koning (2005) Natural variation in toxicity of wheat: potential for selection of non-toxic varieties for celiac disease patients. Gastroenterology 129: 797–806