DeCure's autonomous Immuno AI scientist is researching a drug-repurposing hypothesis for wheat allergic reaction — screening already-approved drugs against its 1-gene Open Targets disease module to publish open-access research. Research is fast; the path to publication is funded in milestone stages.
Disease moduleWheat allergic reaction maps to a 1-gene Open Targets module — the target space DeCure's AI scientist screens approved drugs against.
DeCure.ai methodSignature reversal (LINCS) plus network proximity (STRING) rank already-approved drugs likely to perturb this module — the same engine that produces DeCure.ai's repurposing hypotheses.
Repurposing thesisScreening approved medicines against this disease module, then publishing the evidence for the strongest candidate. Known pharmacology and human exposure data make the first question sharper — they do not establish safety or efficacy in a new indication.
Research record
01
ResearchComing soon
Candidate research + dossier — target rationale, drug-repurposing thesis and evidence pack.proof: Published dossier + on-chain hash
02
ValidationComing soon
In-vitro biological validation at a contract research org (CRO).proof: CRO contract + in-vitro report
03
Peer review & paperComing soon
Peer-reviewed paper published open-access (preprint + journal).proof: DOI + open-access link + on-chain hash
Current lead
No approved-drug candidate for wheat allergic reaction is corroborated in the literature DeepSearch retrieved. Some conditions are managed with non-pharmacological care — a device, surgery or physical therapy — rather than a medicine; that may be the case here, or the literature we found may simply be too sparse yet to support a drug-repurposing angle.
Molecular view
RNA binding fox-1 homolog 1 (RBFOX1) — RBFOX1 is one of the genes genetically linked to this disease in Open Targets — shown as context, not as a drug target we're pursuing: no approved-drug candidate for this disease is yet corroborated in the literature we found.
Loading structure…
helix sheet apo structuredrag to rotate · scroll to zoom
RCSB Protein Data Bank · entry 4ZKA · 1.8 Å · ligand none (apo structure). Experimental structure, not a prediction.
What the evidence adds up to
Wheat is the most common cereal allergen, with prevalence in children ranging from 0.2% to 9% depending on region and age. Allergic reactions to rye, oats, maize, lupin, and quinoa are rare; barley, buckwheat, and rice have medium frequency. Among 24 children with confirmed wheat allergy, anaphylaxis accounted for 54.1% of acute symptoms, and chronic symptoms like asthma and eczema occurred in 50%. Wheat-specific IgE was higher in patients with anaphylaxis, and the risk of anaphylaxis was 14.4 times greater when wheat-specific IgE was 3+ or more. In a separate study of children aged 5 to 15 with IgE-mediated wheat allergy, cross-reactivity rates were 60.0% for barley, 33.3% for oat, and 20.0% for Job’s tears; barley and oat extracts inhibited 59% and 16% of IgE bound to wheat gliadins and glutenins, respectively.
Amylase/trypsin-inhibitors (ATIs) comprise 2–4% of wheat grain proteins and contribute to IgE-mediated allergy, notably Baker’s asthma. Since 2012, ATIs have been shown to trigger the innate immune system, with attention focused on coeliac disease (affecting about 1% of the population) and non-coeliac wheat sensitivity (possibly up to 10%). An international expert meeting in 2020 identified inconsistencies and gaps in knowledge about ATI structure, genetics, and strategies to modify their expression using gene editing.
Oral wheat immunotherapy (WOIT) was tested in 17 children with a history of wheat anaphylaxis. After a 3-month maintenance phase, 8 of 17 had negative oral food challenges; the 9 with positive challenges continued daily consumption of 60 g of bread for another year. Serum wheat sIgE increased significantly at the end of the buildup phase and dropped at the end of maintenance. The authors concluded WOIT is effective and safe under strict supervision. In a study of 103 patients with moderate to severe allergic conjunctivitis, 71.8% had detectable wheat-specific IgE in tear fluid versus 40.0% of controls; tear fluid wheat IgE correlated with ocular itching, tearing, total ocular symptom score, and objective features of conjunctivitis.
What is still missing: large randomised controlled trials of oral immunotherapy with standardised protocols and long-term safety data; validated biomarkers to predict which patients will develop anaphylaxis versus mild reactions; studies that stratify patients by ATI sensitivity versus classical IgE-mediated allergy; and funding for gene-editing approaches to reduce allergenic wheat proteins without affecting crop yield or quality.
Evidence
Retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works and resolved on OpenAlex — ranked by citations, including the results that did not work.
Frontiers in Nutrition · 2021 · 76 citations · open access
Wheat ATIs: Characteristics and Role in Human Disease
AbstractAmylase/trypsin-inhibitors (ATIs) comprise about 2–4% of the total wheat grain proteins and may contribute to natural defense against pests and pathogens. However, they are currently among the most widely studied wheat components because of their proposed role in adverse reactions to wheat consumption in humans. ATIs have long been known to contribute to IgE-mediated allergy (notably Bakers' asthma), but interest has increased since 2012 when they were shown to be able to trigger the innate immune system, with attention focused on their role in coeliac disease which affects about 1% of the population and, more recently, in non-coeliac wheat sensitivity which may affect up to 10% of the population. This has led to studies of their structure, inhibitory properties, genetics, control of expression, behavior during processing, effects on human adverse reactions to wheat and, most recently, strategies to modify their expression in the plant using gene editing. We therefore present an integrated account of this range of research, identifying inconsistencies, and gaps in our knowledge and identifying future research needs. Note This paper is the outcome of an invited international ATI expert meeting held in Amsterdam, February 3-5 2020
Allergologia et Immunopathologia · 2020 · 29 citations · open access
Clinical and in vitro cross-reactivity of cereal grains in children with IgE-mediated wheat allergy
AbstractINTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Wheat and cereal grains have a broad range of cross-reactivity, but the clinical relevance of this cross-reactivity is uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate clinical and in vitro cross-reactivity with barley, oat, and Job's tears among wheat-allergic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients aged 5 to 15 years with IgE-mediated wheat allergy were enrolled. Skin prick test (SPT) and specific IgE (sIgE) to wheat, barley, and oat, and SPT to Job's tears were performed. Oral food challenge (OFC) was conducted if the SPT was ≤5 mm in size and there was no history of anaphylaxis to each grain. Profiles of sIgE bound allergens of wheat, barley, and oat, and inhibition ELISA of IgE binding to barley and oat with wheat were performed. RESULTS: /l, respectively. The cross-reactivity rate for barley, oat, and Job's tears was 60.0%, 33.3%, and 20.0%, respectively. Significantly larger SPT size and higher sIgE level were observed in patients with positive cross-reactivity to barley and oat when compared to patients without cross-reactivity. Barley and oat extracts inhibited 59% and 16% of sIgE bound to wheat gliadins and glutenins, respectively. CONCLUSION: The cross-reactivity rate was quite low for oat and Job's tears compared to that of barley; therefore, avoidance of all cereal grains may be unnecessary in patients with severe wheat allergy.
International Archives of Allergy and Immunology · 2004 · 26 citations
Wheat Allergy: Clinical and Laboratory Findings
AbstractBACKGROUND: Food allergy affects 6-8% of infants and wheat allergy is one of the common food allergies among children. The clinical and laboratory manifestations of wheat allergy were evaluated in this study. METHODS: Thirty-two children (< or =12 years old) with suspected wheat allergy were evaluated for wheat allergy. The patients underwent wheat skin prick test (SPT), measurement of wheat-specific IgE and wheat challenge test. The patients with a convincing history of anaphylaxis following ingestion of wheat or with a positive challenge test, and those with a history of immediate hypersensitivity reaction following ingestion of wheat in addition to a positive wheat SPT and/or positive wheat-specific IgE were considered wheat allergic. Then, the laboratory and clinical manifestations of their disease were studied. RESULTS: Among patients with suspected wheat allergy, 24 patients with definite wheat allergy were identified. Anaphylaxis was a dominant clinical feature, accounting for 54.1% of acute symptoms. Chronic allergy symptoms like asthma and eczema were noted in 50% of the patients. Wheat-specific IgE was higher in patients with anaphylaxis (p<0.02) and the risk of anaphylaxis was 14.4 times more in patients with wheat-specific IgE equal to or more than 3+. CONCLUSIONS: Anaphylaxis had occurred in a remarkable number of patients repeatedly, which demonstrates the severity of the reactions, poor knowledge of the disease and probable existence of more patients with mild reactions. Regarding the higher level of wheat-specific IgE in patients with anaphylaxis, wheat-specific IgE could be used to predict the severity of symptoms.
International Archives of Allergy and Immunology · 2021 · 13 citations
Oral Wheat Immunotherapy: Long-Term Follow-Up in Children with Wheat Anaphylaxis
AbstractINTRODUCTION: There has been substantial increase in food allergies in recent decades. The management of severe food allergy often includes strict avoidance and medical therapies. However, oral immunotherapy (OIT) is a promising treatment option for these patients, which is still being investigated. METHODS: The study recruited children from 2 years onward with a history of wheat anaphylaxis who had been referred to the Mofid Children Hospital. Wheat allergy was confirmed by a double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge. OIT was started to reach 5.28 g of wheat protein supplied in 60 g of bread. Besides immunologic measurements, a second and third oral food challenge (OFC) was performed after 3 months and 1 year of maintenance therapy to evaluate the long-term efficacy of wheat OIT (WOIT). RESULTS: Seventeen patients completed the 3-month maintenance phase; 8 of them demonstrated negative OFCs. All of the 9 with positive OFCs were asked to continue the daily consumption of 60 g of bread for another year. Three patients with positive OFCs were followed for 1 more year and were asked to continue eating 60 g of bread every other day. The serum level of wheat sIgE was significantly increased at the end of the buildup phase (p = 0.026) and dramatically dropped at the end of the maintenance phase (p = 0.022). CONCLUSION: To conclude, WOIT is an effective and safe modality of treatment if it is administered under strict supervision.
Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology · 2014 · 12 citations · open access
Specific IgE for wheat in tear fluid of patients with allergic conjunctivitis
AbstractCONTEXT: Allergy to hydrolyzed wheat protein in facial soap has become a major social issue in Japan. It has been reported that the most frequent early symptoms of allergy to hydrolyzed wheat protein in soap are allergic conjunctivitis and rhinitis, while wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis can be induced by long-term use. OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the relation between tear fluid levels of specific IgE for wheat and the features of allergic conjunctivitis. METHODS: A prospective, non-randomized, cross-sectional study was conducted in 103 patients with moderate to severe allergic conjunctivitis (allergic group) and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects (control group). Specific IgE for wheat was measured in tear fluid with an immunochromatography assay, and a skin prick test (SPT) was also performed. Symptoms (sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, ocular itching, and lacrimation) were assessed in each subject along with the activities of daily living (ADL) score and the total ocular symptom score for allergic conjunctivitis. A severity score (0, 1, 2, or 3) was assigned for various changes of the palpebral and bulbar conjunctiva, as well as for limbal and corneal lesions associated with allergic conjunctivitis. RESULTS: The IgE positive rate and specific IgE score were both higher in the allergic group than in the control group (71.8% versus 40.0% and 1.9 ± 0.7 versus 1.4 ± 0.5). A positive SPT for wheat was also more frequent in the allergic group than in the control group (6.8% versus 0.0%). Within the allergic group, patients with a positive SPT had higher specific IgE scores than patients with a negative SPT (3.3 ± 0.5 versus 1.8 ± 0.6, p < 0.001). In the allergic group, the wheat IgE level in tear fluid was correlated with the severity of allergic conjunctivitis symptoms, including ocular itching (r = 0.665), tearing (r = 0.672), and the total ocular symptom score (r = 0.204). Wheat IgE in tear fluid was also correlated with the severity of rhinitis symptoms, including sneezing (r = 0.610), nose blowing (r = 0.640), and nasal obstruction (r = 0.677). Furthermore, the tear fluid wheat IgE score was correlated with five objective features of allergic conjunctivitis (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that wheat allergy may be involved in the development of allergic conjunctivitis.
Polish Annals of Medicine · 2025 · 2 citations · open access
Food allergies to grains: Epidemiology and mechanisms of reactions to wheat, rye, oats, corn, barley, buckwheat, rice, lupine, quinoa
AbstractIntroduction The prevalence of food allergies can reach up to 10% in children in Western countries, with cereals being a significant group of allergens. While wheat is the most commonly associated with allergic reactions, allergies to other grains such as rye, oats, and maize are less studied. Aim The aim of this study was to systematically review allergic reactions to wheat, rye, oats, barley, maize, buckwheat, rice, lupin, and quinoa, with the goal of enhancing understanding of their prevalence, identifying established allergens, and optimizing treatment and preventive strategies. Material and methods The study is based on a review of literature and case reports on allergic reactions to various grains, focusing on their prevalence, allergenicity, and clinical manifestations. Results and discussion Wheat has the highest prevalence of allergic reactions among cereals, with incidence in children ranging from 0.2% to 9%, depending on region and age. It contains the most allergenic proteins. Rye allergies are rare, with few cases of bronchial asthma or combined reactions to wheat and rye. Oats and maize are also weak allergens, with few reported clinical cases. Barley ranks third in causing allergic reactions among children in Japan, but reports are scarce. Buckwheat and rice allergens are well-studied, with rice being more prevalent due to its widespread consumption. Rice allergies rank 4th to 6th in some countries. Lupin and quinoa allergies are extremely rare. Conclusions Thus, allergies to rye, oats, maize, lupin, and quinoa are rare, allergic reactions to barley, buckwheat, rice have a medium frequency; wheat remains one of the major food allergens.
Disease module: DeepOracle (Open Targets). Structures: RDKit from PubChem SMILES. Literature: retrieved by DeepSearch across 234,678,978 indexed works (targeted per-candidate search), resolved on OpenAlex.
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