# Virus-Like Particle Based Immunization Against Peanut Allergy

> **NIH NIH R21** · GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · 2022 · $193,654

## Abstract

Virus-Like Particle Based Immunization Against Peanut Allergy
PROJECT SUMMARY
 Food allergies result from unbalanced immune responses that result in the production of IgE and the
aberrant activation of granulocytes and related cells in an IgE-dependent manner. Peanut allergy is the most
serious of these conditions, affecting more than 2% of children in the U.S. with potentially severe
consequences. The oral immunotherapy standard of care provides only temporary relief when effective, and
frequently gives rise to serious side effects. Its effectiveness is associated with the production of antigen-
specific IgG antibodies, suggesting that an immunization protocol which gives rise to a specific, high-affinity
memory response may comprise a direct and long-lasting therapy against food allergy. This program
combines the skills of a laboratory experienced in the design and production of immunogens based on protein
nanoparticles with leading investigators in the study and treatment of food allergy. The research will explore
a subunit vaccine strategy in which allergenic and non-allergenic peptides derived from two important peanut
allergens, Ara h 2 and Ara h 6, are presented on the surface of immunogenic virus-like particles in a well-
controlled and well-characterized manner. The response to these candidate vaccines will be compared to
formulations incorporating the full-length proteins, and the best candidates will be advanced to tests of allergy
inhibition in two mouse models. The first is a standard model of allergy and anaphylaxis induced by
administration of the allergen and cholera toxin as an adjuvant, and the second is a new mouse strain that
exhibits a more clinically relevant phenotype in which allergy is induced by oral consumption of the allergen
without adjuvant. If the immune response is indeed able to be focused on specific allergenic sequences, one
would be able to determine if a minimized set of IgG responses can induce significant protection and to
develop effective combinations that achieve the desired goal with a minimum of side effects.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10495252
- **Project number:** 5R21AI166639-02
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
- **Principal Investigator:** M.G. Finn
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $193,654
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-22 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10495252

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10495252, Virus-Like Particle Based Immunization Against Peanut Allergy (5R21AI166639-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10495252. Licensed CC0.

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