Immune Mechanisms of Hypersensitivity and Allergy – IMHA

Topics

• Immunological mechanisms, both innate and adaptive, related to hypersensitivities and allergies, including the upper and lower gastrointestinal tract, upper and lower respiratory tract, and skin. 
• Immunological mechanisms linked to allergic and non-allergic asthma, food and drug allergies, delayed type hypersensitivity, urticaria, atopic dermatitis, eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders, sinusitis, eosinophilic pneumonia, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and primary immunodeficiency related hypersensitivity.
• Functional contributions of various cell types involved in hypersensitivities and allergies, including mast cells, eosinophils, basophils, ILCs, T cells, B cells, antigen presenting cells (DCs, macrophages, monocytes), and epithelial cells and the impact of immunoglobins and various augmenting/regulatory factors on the activities of these cells.
• Studies addressing immune mechanisms using animal models, immune epitope discovery, and/or immune and multiomic methods, readouts and endpoints related to hypersensitivities and allergies.
• Immunological and immunogenetic analyses of human subjects and cohorts associated with allergic diseases, asthma and/or mucosal responses.
• Immunological examination of dysregulation or homeostasis, linking mucosal immune responses with the microbiome related to hypersensitivities and allergies.
• Studies examining the early-stage development of therapies for immune modulation of allergic disease. 
• Studies of environmental factors involved in triggering and stimulating hypersensitivities and allergies such as pollutants, irritants, and natural allergens.

Shared Interests and Overlaps

There are shared interests with Innate Immunity A (IIDA (81)), Innate Immunity B (IIB), and Adaptive Immunity (AI). Fundamental molecular processes and functions that pertain to immune system regulation and response, including those at mucosal borders, may be reviewed in IIDA (81), IIB, or AI. The immunopathologic consequences or failures of immunoregulation that lead to hypersensitivity and allergy may be reviewed in IMHA.

There are shared interests with Immunity and Host Defense (IHD) in immune responses to microbes. Applications involving host responses to infectious agents, including applications that focus on how changes in the microbiome may affect a protect response to an infectious agent, may be reviewed in IHD, whereas applications involving innate or adaptive immune responses to environmental factors such as the microbiome and non-pathogenic molecules, in the context of hypersensitivities and allergic diseases may be reviewed in IMHA. Applications that investigate infectious microbes that initiate or exacerbate allergy/asthma may also be reviewed in IMHA.

There are shared interests with Lung Immunology and Infection (LII) in immune responses in the lung. Applicationsinvestigating viral induced hypersensitivity responses and ABPA may be reviewed in LII, whereas applications studying immune mechanisms and/or responses, either innate or adaptive, in the context of upper and lower respiratory tract-related hypersensitivities and allergic diseases (e.g., allergic asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis) may be reviewed in IMHA. In addition, applications focused on the microbiome which reside/originate within, or otherwise impact, the lung may be reviewed in LII, but those that investigate the role of the lung resident microbiome in the modulation of hypersensitivities and allergies localized to this organ will be reviewed in IMHA.

There are shared interests with Pulmonary Injury Remodeling and Repair (PIRR). Applications focused more generally on aspects of lung physiology and function may be reviewed in PIRR, whereas applications studying immune mechanisms and/or responses, either innate or adaptive, in the context of upper and lower respiratory tract-related hypersensitivities and allergic diseases (e.g., allergic asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis) may be reviewed in IMHA.

There are shared interests with Skin and Connective Tissue Science (SCTS) in skin and connective tissue-associated immune responses. Applications with a focus on the biology, physiology, development and homeostasis of the skin and skin appendages may be reviewed in SCTS, whereas applications studying immune cells, immune mechanisms and/or responses, either innate or adaptive, in the context of skin-associated hypersensitivities, allergic diseases (e.g., atopic dermatitis) may be reviewed in IMHA. Applications that focus on skin-localized microbiome homeostasis may be reviewed in SCTS, whereas those that focus on the role of the microbiome in the modulation of skin-associated hypersensitivities and allergies may be reviewed in IMHA.

There are shared interests with Digestive System Host Defense, Microbial Interactions and Immune and Inflammatory Diseases (DHMI) in the immune responses in the gastrointestinal tract. Applications emphasizing non-allergic responses in the context of acute and chronic gastrointestinal conditions, such as celiac disease, gastritis, or necrotizing enterocolitis may be reviewed by DHMI. Applications studying immune cells, immune mechanisms and/or responses, either innate or adaptive, in the context of hypersensitivities and allergic diseases in the gastrointestinal tract, e.g., eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders or food allergies, may be reviewed in IMHA. 

There are shared interests with the Translational Investigations of Pulmonary and Immunological Diseases (RCCS (81)). Applications that propose preclinical translational research and clinical trials, including those focusing on interventions to investigate immune-mediated disorders such as hypersensitivities and allergy may be reviewed by RCCS (81). Applications investigating molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with allergy and hypersensitivities involving animal models, human specimens and/or data, or studies with human participantsthat do not meet the definition of a clinical trial may be reviewed in IMHA.