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PROTEOMICS AND SYSTEMS BIOLOGY OF FISH ALLERGY

Final Report Summary - FISH ALLERGOMICS (PROTEOMICS AND SYSTEMS BIOLOGY OF FISH ALLERGY)

Fish allergy is considered one of the major concerns in food safety. The symptoms appear within 60 min of exposure and include acute urticaria, nauseas, and asthma. In the most severe cases, anaphylaxis shocks can potentially life threatening. To guarantee consumers security, a number of regulations in terms of food allergy have been implemented (Directive 2007/68/EC).

Fish Allergomics was an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary Marie Curie project, where the Advanced Proteomics and Proteomics-based Systems Biology approaches, were applied to guarantee the safety to the consumers in terms of fish allergy. Three main directions/applications were performed:

- Food Safety Control (Targeted Proteomics)
- Immunotherapy (Peptidomics and De Novo MS sequencing)
- In Silico model of fish allergy (Proteomics-based Systems Biology)

For all 3 tasks, the fellow Dr. Carrera achieved successful and relevant results.

The main goal of the 1st phase was an in-depth analysis by Bottom-Up proteomics of all fish and Anisakis-derived allergens. For that, Dr. Carrera identified several peptide biomarkers from the main fish allergen (Parvalbumin; PRVB) and from the Ani s9 allergen belonging to the Anisakis species. These peptide biomarkers were used to monitor by a fast and easy Targeted proteomics approach the presence or not of these type of allergens in any seafood product. The application of this rapid Targeted Proteomics strategy for Food Quality Control provides a valuable method for the Control Authorities and Food Industry to guarantee the safety to the consumers.

Regarding to the 2nd phase of the project, Dr. Carrera mapped several linear IgE-binding epitopes on the major fish allergens (PRVBs). Antigenic determinants were mainly characterized by the fellow using a Peptidomics and De Novo MS sequencing approach. Findings coming out from this second direction of the project may be used by Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Organizations. They will be applicable in clinical practices to provide rationale information for the designing of new synthetic peptide-vaccines to be used for specific immunotherapies.

Finally, during the 3rd phase of the project, Dr. Carrera reached a comprehensive understanding of the T-cell signaling pathway for food allergy. For that, phosphoproteomics studies using T-cells were performed at different time points of antigen activation. These results were exhaustively studied using novel Networks and Systems Biology methodologies. Fish Allergomics project culminated with the generation of a holistic map of T-cell signalling for food allergy, helpful to identify new relevant targets for pharmacologic or therapeutic interventions.