Allergy Asthma and Immunology Research

Research Interests

1. Prevention and treatment of asthma and allergic diseases
2. Immunopathogenesis of asthma and allergic diseases
3. Epidemiology of asthma and allergic diseases
4. Study of immunoregulatory proteins and their application in treatment of allergic Diseases
   

Research Areas

A) Mechanistic Studies

1. Allergen-cell interaction
2. Mechanism of DNA vaccination

B) Translational Research

1. Vaccine and Therapy
• Recombinant mite allergen-based immunotherapy
• DNA vaccine-based immunotherapy
• Oral vaccine based immunotherapy
• Lactic acid bacteria
• Transgenic plant
  
2. Diagnostic
• Production of recombinant mite allergens
• Kits development

C) Epidemiological/ Multidisciplinary Clinical Studies

1. To evaluate the role of probiotics in the prevention of allergic diseases
2. To study the immune responses to allergens in early childhood in relation to environmental factors

Programme Highlights

Therapeutic and prevention modality with respect to studies on:

• Development of DNA Vaccine for Asthma and Allergic diseases
• Development of lactobacilli - based oral vaccine for protective immune responses against allergy
• Recombinant mite allergens - based immunotherapeutic vaccine for allergy
• Study of immunoregulatory proteins and their application in treatment of allergic diseases
• Epidemiology of asthma and allergic diseases of school children in Singapore and Philippines
• Evaluation of food allergens such as shellfish and bird's nest
  

Influence of environmental factors in the development of childhood allergies:

• A clinical trial on the effects of probiotics on atopic disease in babies at risk for atopy
• Molecular studies of stool microbiota and its influence on eczema. 

Collaborative Research Projects

• The Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Structural Biology Division, Academia Sinica (Taiwan): Study of allergen NMR structure
• The Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Structural Biology Division, Academia Sinica (Taiwan): Production of oral vaccine for immunotherapy in transgenic plants
• University of Otago, (New Zealand), Gadjah Maja University (Indonesia), University of Illinois (US): Comparative study of gut microbiota between urban Singapore and rural Yogyakarta toddlers and determine its relationship with the development of allergic diseases.
• Joint South East Asian studies on the epidemiology food allergy and allergic diseases in the young children in Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia.
• Regional multi-centre Epidemiological studies of mite allergy in patients with asthma/rhinitis.

Research Achievements

A.  Recent Major research achievements

1. Two important breakthroughs in the field of allergy:
1. Determine the 3D structure for dust mite allergen that sensitized about 1 billion people worldwide.
2. Generated the world first allergen-specific TCR transgenic mice.
2. Completed the proof of concept research for development of a lactobacillus-based oral vaccine for allergy. Receive SGD$ 613,600 Commercialization of Technology funding from Exploit Technologies (A*STAR), for research collaboration with Genmont Biotech Inc.

B.  Patents (2006-March 2009)

1. Recombinant nucleic  acid useful for inducing protective immune response against allergens
   Patent number : 539061 ( NZ ), issued date: 07/2008
2. Recombinant nucleic  acid useful for inducing protective immune response against allergens
   Patent no: 110664 (serial no: 200501207-5, SG), issued date: 30/4/2007
3. Molecules having immunomodulatory activity
   Patent no:2417246 (GB);(serial no: 0523067.7, GB) issued date: 26/9/2007

Key Representative Publications

1. Liedén, A, E Ekelund, I KUO, I Kockum, C H Huang, L Mallbris, SP Lee, LK Seng, GY Chin,CF Wahlgren, CN Palmer, B Björkstén, M Ståhle, M Nordensköld, M Bradley, K Y Chua and M D’Amato, "Cornulin, a marker of late epidermal differentiation, is down-regulated in eczema.". ALLERGY, 64, no. 2 (2009): 304-311.
2. Ding Y, Seow SV, Huang CH, Liew LM, Lim YC, Kuo IC, and Chua KY, Coadministration of the fungal immunomodulatory protein FIP-Fve and a tumour-associated antigen enhanced antitumour immunity.Immunology 128(1 Suppl):e881-94, 2009 Sep.
3. Xu, H, L N Liew, I KUO, C H Huang, D L M Goh and K Y Chua*, "The modulatory effects of Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated B cells on differential T-cell polarization". Immunology , 125, no. 2 (2008): 218-228.
4. Naik, MT, CF Chang, I KUO, CC Kung, F C Yi, K Y Chua and TH Huang*, "Roles of structure and structural dynamics in the antibody recognition of the allergen proteins: an NMR study on Blomia tropicalis major allergen". STRUCTURE, 16, no. 1 (2008): 125-136.
5. Tan, L K, C H Huang, I KUO, L M LIEW and K Y Chua*, "Intramuscular immunization withn DNA construct containing Der p 2 and signal peptide sequences primed strong IgE production". VACCINE, 24, no. 29-30 (2006): 5762-5771.
6. Paaventhan, P, J S Joseph, S V Seow, S Vaday, H Robinson, K Y Chua and P R Kolatkar, "A 1.7A structure of Fve, a member of the new fungal immunomodulatory protein family". JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, 332 (2003): 461-470.
7. Huang CH, Kuo IC, Xu H, Lee YS, Chua KY*. Mite allergen induces allergic dermatitis with concomitant neurogenic inflammation in mouse. J Invest Dermatol. 2003 Aug;121(2):289-93.
8. Soh SE, Aw M, Gerez I, Chong YS, Rauff M, Ng YP, Wong HB, Pai N, Lee BW, Shek LP. Probiotic supplementation in the first 6 months of life in at risk Asian infants - effects on eczema and atopic sensitization at the age of 1 year. Clin Exp Allergy. 2008 Dec 9.
9. Lim DL, Neo KH, Yi FC, Chua KY, Goh DL, Shek LP, Giam YC, Van Bever HP, Lee BW. Parvalbumin--the major tropical fish allergen. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2008 Aug;19(5):399-407.
10. Mah KW, Chin VI, Wong WS, Lay C, Tannock GW, Shek LP, Aw MM, Chua KY, Wong HB, Panchalingham A, Lee BW. Effect of a Milk Formula Containing Probiotics on the Fecal Microbiota of Asian Infants at Risk of Atopic Diseases. Pediatr Res. 2007 Oct 12.

Member(s) of Programme

Programme Coordinators:

Prof Chua Kaw Yan
Adj Assoc Prof Lee Bee Wah

Members:

Prof Van Bever, Hugo P S
Assoc Prof Wang De Yun (Dept of Otolaryngology, NUH)
Dr Lynette Shek Pei Chi
Dr Cheong Nge
Dr Liew Lip Nyin
Dr Seow See Voon
Dr Huang Chiung Hui
Dr Yi Fong Cheng
Dr Xu Hui
Ms Seah Ching Ching
Ms Teo Su Min, Audrey
Mr Soh Gim Hooi
Ms Tan Teng Nging
Ms Liew Lee Mei
Mr Mah Ka Weng
Ms Wen Hong Mei
Ms Or Ming Yan
Ms Wong Wen Seen
Ms Ding Ying
Ms Judy Anthony
Ms Kwek Poh Lian, Corinne

Contact Details

Professor Chua Kaw Yan Department of Paediatrics Yong Loo Ling School of Medicine 10 Medical Drive MD11, Clinical Research Centre, #03-14 Singapore 117597 Tel     :  6516 4345 Fax    :  6775 7593 Email :  paecky@nus.edu.sg;

Adj Assoc Prof Lee Bee Wah Department of Paediatrics Yong Loo Ling School of Medicine 10 Medical Drive MD11, Clinical Research Centre, #03-14 Singapore 117597 Email : paeleebw@nus.edu.sg