Immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergy is rapidly developing into a global health problem. Publicly available therapeutic intervention strategies are currently restricted to allergen avoidance and emergency treatments. To gain a better understanding of the disease pathophysiology so that new therapies can be developed, major research efforts have been put into studying food allergy in mice. Animal models should reflect the human pathology as closely as possible to allow for a rapid translation of basic science observations to the bedside. In this regard, experimental models of food allergy provide significant challenges for research because of discrepancies between the presentation of disease in humans and mice. The goal of this review is to give a summary of commonly used murine disease models and to discuss how they relate to the human condition. We will focus on epicutaneous sensitization models, on mouse strains that sensitize spontaneously to food as seen in humans, and on models in humanized animals. In summary, expanding the research toolbox of experimental food allergy provides an important step toward closing gaps in our understanding of the derailing immune mechanism that underlies the human disease. The availability of additional experimental models will provide exciting opportunities to discover new intervention points for the treatment of food allergies. (Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol 2018;x:x).
Keywords: Allergen Challenge; Allergen Sensitization; Anaphylaxis; EPIT, epicutaneous immunotherapy; Epictutaneous Sensitization; FCER1A, high-affinity immunoglobulin epsilon receptor subunit alpha; FCERIA; FcεRI, high-affinity immunoglobulin E receptor; GM-CSF, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor; HSC, hematopoietic stem cell; Humanized Model; IL, interleukin; Ig, immunoglobulin; IgE; LCT, long chain triglycerides; MCPT, mouse mast cell protease; MCT, medium chain triglycerides; Murine Models of Food Allergy; OIT, oral immunotherapy; PBMC, peripheral blood mononuclear cell; Spontaneous Sensitization; TSLP, thymic stromal lymphopoietin; Th, T helper; Treg, regulatory T cell; WASP, Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome protein.