Description
Protein modification by drugs or their metabolites (haptenation) is believed to be required for the drugs to activate the immune system eliciting allergic reactions.
We are interested in identifying targets for haptenation (protein modification by drugs), characterizing the factors that influence these modifications, and their involvement in adverse reactions to drugs.
We have recently demonstrated the presence of proteins haptenated by amoxicillin in exosomes that can be secreted from a cell type and taken up by antigen-presenting cells, thus potentially contributing to the actvation of the immune system.
Several families of enzymes participate in drug detoxification. We have proposed that alterations in these enzymes, including some polymorphisms associated with allergic reactions, could affect their capacity for detoxification, thus increasing the likeliness of protein haptenation and consequently allergic responses.
For references on these works, please consult the full publication list.