Metalloporphyrins of this nature have been shown to be tumor specific and thus have potential as possible tumor therapy agents. This project will provide preliminary evidence into the ability of these novel water-soluble porphyrins to interact with DNA bases. This research is funded by a Virgil and June Waggoner Grant. Figure 1 Joe Jeffers Studies of Peanut Allergen Binding to Immunoglobulin E Peanut allergy is a significant health problem because of the frequency, potential severity, and chronicity of the allergic sensitivity.
Episodes tend to be quite severe, sometimes resulting in fatal anaphylaxis.
We have mapped four regions of IgE binding. All allergen sites are on seed storage proteins. We are conducting mutation studies to see what amino acid changes can occur in the sites to lose IgE binding while maintaining normal T-cell binding. We hope to develop peanut strains that do not cause the allergic response in sensitive individuals, and we hope to develop treatment therapies for individuals already sensitive to current strains. Dr. Frederick Sanger was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1958 for his work in determining the structure of insulin, the first protein molecule sequenced.