Kaiqiang Li,1,2,* Jing Jin,3,* Yimin Yang,4,* Xuling Luo,4 Yaling Wang,1 Aibo Xu,1 Ke Hao,1,2 Zhen Wang1,2 

1Laboratory Medicine Center, Allergy Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (Affiliated People’s Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Biomarkers and In Vitro Diagnosis Translation of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310063, People’s Republic of China; 3Laboratory Medicine Center, Zhejiang Center for Clinical Laboratories, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital (Affiliated People’s Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, People’s Republic of China; 4College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310014, People’s Republic of China

*These authors contributed equally to this work

Correspondence: Ke Hao; Zhen Wang, Email haokehaokehaoke@aliyun.com; wangzhen@hmc.edu.cn

Abstract: Allergen Immunotherapy (AIT) is the only etiological therapeutic method available for allergic rhinitis (AR). Currently, several options for AIT in the market, such as subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), have different routes of administration. These traditional methods have achieved encouraging outcomes in clinic. However, the side effects associated with these methods have raised the need for innovative approaches for AIT that improve safety, shorten the course of treatment and increase local drug concentration. Nanoparticles (NPs) are particles ranging in size from 1 to 100 nm, which have been hired as potential adjuvants for AIT. NPs can be employed as agents for modulating immune responses in AR or/and carriers for loading proteins, peptides or DNA molecules. This review focuses on different kinds of nanoparticle delivery systems, including chitosan nanoparticles, exosomes, metal nanoparticles, and viral nanoparticles. We summarized the advantages and limitations of NPs for the treatment of allergic rhinitis. Overall, NPs are expected to be a therapeutic option for AR, which requires more in-depth studies and long-term therapeutic validation.

Keywords: allergen immunotherapy, nanoparticles, allergic disease, subcutaneous immunotherapy