Allergens, antibodies, enzymes and small physiologically important molecules: design, structure, function and relevance

Structures and biomodulatory properties of allergens and vaccinal antigens, enzymes that have been modified by genetic engeneering vaccinal antigens and physiologically active small molecules, as well as chemical reactions and non-covalent interactions with functional carriers will be analysed. The subject of the upcoming research will be analysis of the correlation between the modification and functionality of proteins. We plan to develop our research through several stages. At first we wish to develop hypoallergenic variants of protein components of nutritive and respiratory allergens using genetic engineering. Further, modification of vaccinal antigen structures will be performed with the intention to minimize their structural similarity to the recipient’s proteins and allergens. Physiologically active proteins will be chemically modified as; in the next stage we intend to deal with specific modifications of human physiological proteins in cases of certain pathological conditions in order to use them as markers for diagnostics. We shall also modify hydrolase enzyme molecules to make them more stable and active in the desired medium. By developing advanced techniques for screening, we shall be able to efficiently separate modified from nonmodified molecules. The ultimate goal of the research is to define structural and functional characteristics of modified proteins in order to get derivatives with appropriate characteristics to be used in diagnostics and therapy.