Intralymphatic allergen-specific immunotherapy

ABSTRACT

Although allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT) is a standard treatment for allergic diseases, only 5% or less of patients in whom AIT is indicated have been receiving immunotherapy because AIT needs a long-term therapeutic duration of up to 5 years. To overcome this limitation of conventional AIT, Kündig and his colleagues first introduced intralymphatic immunotherapy (ILIT) in patients with allergic rhinitis, publishing their results in 2008. Since then, 10 clinical trials that evaluated therapeutic efficacies and adverse effects of ILIT have been conducted. This article reviews the clinical trials of ILIT and suggests unmet needs in research fields of ILIT.