SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--IgGenix, Inc., a pre-clinical antibody discovery and development company taking a revolutionary approach to directly address allergic disease, recently presented insights into the potential for IgE antibody re-engineering in shellfish allergy. These data, generated using IgGenix’s novel patented SEQ SIFTER™ single-cell RNA-sequencing discovery platform, were presented on February 26 during the 2023 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) Annual Meeting, which took place in San Antonio, Texas on February 24-27, 2023.
“Individuals with severe forms of allergic disease have evolved potent IgE responses to otherwise innocuous antigens,” said Ben Chih-Pin Chung, Ph.D., Principal Scientist at IgGenix who presented the findings. “The high affinity and human origin of these antibodies make them promising leads for the future development of IgG allergen-specific therapies with the potential for enhanced efficacy, safety, and onset of action.”
Data Highlights
- IgGenix’s optimized single-cell RNA sequencing platform, SEQ SIFTER™, enabled the unbiased discovery of high-affinity IgE antibodies against shellfish, including crustaceans (such as shrimp, crab, and lobster) and mollusks (such as clams, mussels, and oysters).
- Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) derived from patients cross-reacted with several shellfish and dust mite species in a clonally dependent manner.
- A more targeted therapeutic approach for allergic patients has the potential to address key allergens directly with better safety than allergen-oriented approaches and a quicker onset of action.
“Shellfish allergies are the most common food allergies in adults and among the most common food allergies in children. Approximately 2% of the U.S. population reports an allergy to shellfish and many of the first reactions occur in adults. Shellfish allergies are usually lifelong and the only definitive treatment today is strict avoidance however almost all causes of anaphylaxis are due to accidental exposure or cross-contamination. These data from IgGenix are an exciting step towards a shellfish treatment to prevent symptoms in allergic individuals,” said Kari C. Nadeau, MD PhD, IgGenix Co-Founder and John Rock Professor of Climate and Population Studies, Chair, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Poster Title: Cross-Reactive Shellfish-specific Monoclonal IgE Antibodies Discovered from Highly Allergic Individuals (#528)
Authors: Ben Chung1, Joyce Wong1, Venu Aruva1, Paige Creeks1, Johanna Romero1, Saba Sohail1, Eric Mabery1, Anmoldeep Kaur1, Roger Thomas1, Henry Lowman1, Derek Croote1; 1IgGenix.
Presenter: Ben Chih-Pin Chung, Ph.D.
“At IgGenix, we are developing a novel approach to prevent severe allergic reactions by re-engineering allergen-specific human antibodies. These data are the potential basis for treatments that may block and prevent life-threatening allergic reactions to shellfish and other food and environmental allergens,” said Derek Croote PhD, Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer of IgGenix.
The abstract can be accessed at https://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749(22)02190-X/fulltext.
About IgGenix
IgGenix is a privately held antibody discovery and development company taking a revolutionary approach to directly address severe allergies. Through our proprietary SEQ SIFTER™ discovery platform, developed from the foundational research of co-founders Stephen Quake, Kari Nadeau, and Derek Croote of Stanford University, IgGenix isolates and re-engineers fully human, high-affinity, allergen-specific antibodies designed to block and prevent the allergic cascade. By targeting common immunodominant allergens and their most important epitopes across the patient population, we intend to treat allergic pediatric and adult patients alike across severe food and environmental allergies. This novel approach may prevent life-threatening allergic reactions, saving lives and reducing the constant fear that affects millions of people living with severe allergies. For more information, visit www.IgGenix.com.
