Glycated Whey Proteins for Oral Tolerance Induction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current infant formulas based on cows' milk often lead to cows' milk allergy in infants due to inadequate immune system development and inability to recognize dietary proteins, resulting in hypersensitivity reactions, and existing treatments either avoid allergens or use hydrolyzed proteins, which do not promote tolerance to intact proteins.
Innovation Solution
A food product containing glycated whey proteins, specifically lactosylated β-lactoglobulin, is developed to promote oral tolerance by administering these proteins to infants, either in infant formulas or pet foods, through a glycation process that enhances nutritional value and stability, thereby inducing and maintaining tolerance to allergenic proteins.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If cows' milk proteins are used in infant formula, then nutritional value is improved, but cows' milk allergy risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies glycation modification to change the chemical structure of milk proteins, specifically forming glycated β-lactoglobulin and glycated casein. This parameter change in protein structure reduces allergenicity while preserving nutritional value, resolving the contradiction between using intact proteins for nutrition and avoiding them to prevent allergy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces glycated proteins as an intermediary form between intact proteins and hydrolyzed proteins. These glycated proteins serve as a mediator that maintains the benefits of intact proteins (nutritional completeness) while reducing the harmful effects (allergenicity), eliminating the need to choose between whole proteins and hydrolyzed proteins.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If hydrolyzed proteins are used to treat allergy, then hypersensitivity reactions are reduced, but tolerance to intact proteins is not promoted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent modifies proteins through glycation to create an intermediate structure that is less allergenic than intact proteins but more recognizable by the immune system than hydrolyzed proteins. This parameter change allows the immune system to tolerate the modified proteins while maintaining the ability to recognize and respond to normal protein structures later.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The use of glycated whey proteins in infant formulas and pet foods effectively reduces the risk of developing cows' milk allergy by inducing oral tolerance, as demonstrated by reduced IgE and IgG1 antibody responses in mice models, indicating improved immune system recognition and reduced hypersensitivity reactions.
Implementation Method 1
a glycation process that enhances nutritional value and stability
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of promoting oral tolerance to proteins in an animal comprising administering glycated forms of said proteins to the animal; glycated proteins for use in the promotion of oral tolerance in an animal; a food product comprising glycated proteins for use in the same; and a method for making said food product.