A recent patent in allergy & immunology: Biomarkers on allergen‐specific memory B cells to predict allergen immunotherapy outcome.

This article discusses the need for a better understanding of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) and the identification of early biomarkers that can predict treatment outcomes. The authors propose that changes in specific surface proteins on allergen-specific memory B cells can serve as biomarkers for successful AIT. They conducted a study using recombinant protein tetramers and single-cell RNA sequencing to identify changes in transcriptional profiles and surface protein expression on allergen-specific B cells. The authors found that the expression of CD23, CD29, and CD124 on allergen-specific B cells can be prognostic biomarkers for AIT effects after 2-4 months of treatment. These biomarkers can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of new treatments or treatment combinations in clinical trials. The functional relevance of these proteins in the context of AIT is still unclear and requires further investigation. The study was supported by grants and in-kind support from various organizations. The authors also disclose that they are inventors on the presented patent application. [Extracted from the article]