Research Adaptive Response, Metabolism and Immunobiology

Allergic diseases in childhood and adolescence

Research Program

Adaptive Response, Metabolism and Immunobiology

Leaders

Where we are

SJD Barcelona Children's Hospital

How to reach us

Related websites

The research group on Allergic diseases in childhood and adolescence is an eminently clinical group formed by pediatric allergists. Clinical research is facilitated by the large number of patients who are diagnosed and treated in our Service, a national and international reference center. In collaboration with basic research groups (Immunology Laboratory of Hospital Clínic), research is also being done on the pathophysiological mechanisms of allergic diseases and the response to immunomodulatory treatments.

Research lines

  1. Immunomodulation in food allergy in its two aspects, prevention, and immunotherapy for food as a single treatment or in combination with biologics.
  2. Immunomodulation in respiratory allergy: response to immunotherapy.
  3. Genetics of allergic diseases: Non-IgE mediated food allergy and the international project "Establishment of a Spanish Cohort for the Genetics of Food Allergy" in collaboration with Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin
  4. "Component diagnosis" in the field of food allergy and respiratory allergy
  5. Treatment of skin diseases with biologics: atopic dermatitis, chronic urticaria.
  6. Severe asthma with the study of inflammatory biomarkers and treatment with biologics.

Scientific objectives

  1. Consolidate methods for the prevention and treatment of food allergies.
  2. Study the genetic conditions of food allergy.
  3. Describe phenotypes of different food allergies through advances in component diagnosis.
  4. Collaborate in the international study of the action of new biological drugs in the treatment of allergic diseases in the field of food, respiratory and dermatological allergies.
  5. Improve the diagnosis and treatment of severe asthma in children and adolescents.

Area/Field of expertise

Prevalence of allergic diseases has increased in recent decades. Lifestyle changes and improved diagnostic and laboratory-level diagnostic techniques have helped to establish a better and more accurate diagnosis. As a result, new treatments are being developed for both the immunomodulatory level and the use of biologic drugs. Many of these treatments are still in the experimental phase and our Service is a pioneer in the research that will lead to its subsequent use at a generalized level.

Food allergy mainly affects children and adolescents and is the leading cause of anaphylaxis in our environment. The aim of our research in this field is to reduce the risk of anaphylactic reactions and to improve the quality of life of children and adolescents. There are three levels of food allergy prevention: primary, secondary, and tertiary. Our lines of study are applied at all three levels with different randomized and control group studies being conducted.

In this field, the application of new techniques with component diagnosis in different foods, in agreement with the Immunology laboratory of the Clinic and other International Centers, will help to make a diagnosis.

Atopic dermatitis and chronic urticaria are also a topic of study in our group. Various randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled international studies are being conducted to treat these conditions.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease in our environment, and allergic asthma is the most common in children. Our studies of new inflammatory biomarkers at the experimental level, in the laboratory of respiratory functional exploration, aim to improve the treatment of severe asthma.

Group members

Last Publications

  • Martínez-Cañavate A, Mesa-Del-Castillo M, Carballada F, Rivas-Juesas C, Porto JÁ, Blasco C, Alvaro-Lozano M, Lozano-Blasco J, Manrique JA, Martínez MJ, Galán T, Domingo G, Marín L, Vega P, López-Rodríguez R, Galán PS, Aliaga Y, Pineda F and Tortajada-Girbés M Molecular Signatures of Aeroallergen Sensitization in Pediatric Populations: A Comparative Study Across Spanish Cities. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES . 26(7): .
  • Santos AF, Riggioni C, Agache I, Akdis CA, Akdis M, Alvarez-Perea A, Alvaro-Lozano M, Ballmer-Weber B, Barni S, Beyer K, Bindslev-Jensen C, Brough HA, Buyuktiryaki B, Chu D, Del Giacco S, Dunn-Galvin A, Eberlein B, Ebisawa M, Eigenmann P, Eiwegger T, Feeney M, Fernandez-Rivas M, Fiocchi A, Fisher HR, Fleischer DM, Giovannini M, Gray C, Hoffmann-Sommergruber K, Halken S, O'B Hourihane J, Jones CJ, Jutel M, Knol EF, Konstantinou GN, Lack G, Lau S, Mejias AM, Marchisotto MJ, Meyer R, Mortz CG, Moya B, Muraro A, Nilsson C, de Oliveira LCL, O'Mahony L, Papadopoulos NG, Perrett KP, Peters R, Podesta M, Poulsen LK, Roberts G, Sampson H, Schwarze J, Smith P, Tham E, Untersmayr E, Van Ree R, Venter C, Vickery B, Vlieg-Boerstra B, Werfel T, Worm M, Du Toit G and Skypala I EAACI guidelines on the management of IgE-mediated food allergy ALLERGY . 80(1): 14-36.
  • Deschildre, A, Alvaro-Lozano M, Muraro, A, Podesta, M, de Silva, D, Giovannini, M, Barni, S, Dribin, TE, Mónica Paola Sandoval Ruballos, Anagnostou, A, Fiocchi, A, Toniolo, A, Bird, A, Sanz, AS, Asarnoj, A, Nowak-Wegrzyn, A, Vlieg-Boerstra, B, Vickery, BP, Venter, C, Nilsson, C, Parente, C, Demoulin, C, Fleischer, DM, Bijlhout, D, Knol, EF, Garrow, E, Cook, EE, Schultz, F, Lazzarotto, F, Mori, F, Wong, G, Lack, G, Roberts, G, Marino, GA, Elberink, HNGO, Brough, HA, Sampson, HA, Lieberman, J, Gerdts, J, Zhao, J, Gradman, J, Upton, JEM, Wang, J, Palosuo, K, Järvinen, KM, Beyer, K, Shen, KL, Polloni, L, Mandelbaum, L, Tanno, LK, Bilaver, LA, Shaker, MS, Worm, M, Said, M, Kelly, M, Marchisotto, MJ, Makris, M, Odemyr, M, Fernandez-Rivas, M, Ebisawa, M, Patel, N, del Río, PR, Vichyanond, P, Turner, P, Smith, P, Gaspar, PM, Chinthrajah, RS, Rachid, R, Bonaguro, R, Gupta, R, Schnadt, S, Sato, S, Arasi, S, Leonard, S, Poblete, S, Halken, S, Le, TM, Pouessel, G, Dunn, T, Cardona, V and Zuberbier, T Towards a common approach for managing food allergy and serious allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) at school. GA2LEN and EFA consensus statement Clinical and Translational Allergy . 15(1): .
More Publications

Projects

Project name:
Caracterización Clínica y Analítica de Pacientes Pediátricos Diagnosticados de Urticaria Crónica”
Leader
Montserrat Alvaro Lozano
Funding entities:
Sociedad Española de Inmunología Clínica, Alergia y Asma Pediátrica
Code
PCP00452
Starting - finishing date:
2025 - 2027
Project name:
Tratamiento proactivo mediante inmunomodulación precoz, con dosis baja y fija de proteínas de leche de vaca fermentada, en pacientes menores de 5 años, con alergia a proteínas de leche de vaca.
Leader
Olga Dominguez Sánchez
Funding entities:
Fundació Privada per a la Recerca i la Docència Sant Joan de Déu - FSJD, Dominguez Sánchez, Olga, Sociedad Española de Inmunología Clínica, Alergia y Asma Pediátrica
Code
PCP00425
Starting - finishing date:
2023 - 2025
Project name:
Estudio de hipersensibiidad a anti-inflamatorios no esteroideos (AINES) en población pediátrica.
Leader
Adrianna Machinena Spera
Funding entities:
Sociedad Española de Inmunología Clínica, Alergia y Asma Pediátrica
Code
PCP00349
Starting - finishing date:
2022 - 2025
More projects

News

  • Pediatric asthma affects 10% of children and progresses with age

    Today, May 6, is World Asthma Day, established by the Global Asthma Initiative. The objective of the day is to promote awareness of the disease, encourage the availability of effective treatments, and improve the quality of life of those affected.

See All news