This project aims to synthesize a series of novel adjuvant scaffolds that can help improve performances of the current vaccine. Contact allergens provide a great opportunity for this purpose because: 1) its inherent ability to activate the immune system through covalent modification to protein/s, 2) past research endeavors that led to identification of hundreds of contact allergens, and 3) wide availability of contact allergens. Despite these advantages, there has never been a study investigating its potential usage as adjuvants. Moreover, we still do not fully understand the interaction between contact allergens and the innate immunity. Before start thinking about biological implications, we felt the need to do establish basic science first to help understand the effects. Here, we investigated how our innate immune cells recognize contact allergens. We utilized one of the well-studied contact allergen, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (DNCB), to show its interaction with self-proteins. Based on our structure-activity relationship, we hypothesized that the potential target protein/s has a binding pocket with an H-bonding acceptor. Through proteomics analysis, we identified 15 proteins that potentially initiate the immune response. Direct modification by DNCB was further confirmed via post-translational modification. Gene silencing via RNAi revealed groups of genes that are up- or down-regulated due to treatment with contact allergens. These studies together provide deeper understanding on contact allergens and skin hypersensitivity and we propose that it can be used in many applications including therapeutics.<br/>

Understanding recognition mechanism of contact allergen and evaluation of its usage as novel adjuvants

2019 Spring National Meeting

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