allergen

Also known as allergens

An allergen is an otherwise harmless substance that triggers an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals by stimulating an immune response.

AI overview

An allergen is a substance that is harmless to most people but causes an allergic reaction in some individuals because their immune system overreacts to it. Understanding allergens matters because they can trigger anything from mild symptoms like sneezing to serious health effects, making it important for people with allergies to identify and avoid their personal triggers.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Research

87,833 papers

Allergen-Associated Immunomodulators: Modifying Allergy Outcome.ReviewArchivum immunologiae et therapiae experimentalis · 2016Gómez-Casado C, Díaz-Perales ADOI: 10.1007/s00005-016-0401-2
What makes an allergen?ReviewClinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology · 2015Scheurer S, Toda M, Vieths SDOI: 10.1111/cea.12571
Food allergen-polysaccharide interaction: Structure, characterization, digestion, and allergenicity.ReviewFood chemistry · 2025Yu W, Hu W, Hao Z et al.DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2025.146390
Allergen databases: current status and perspectives.Review

~16 min read

Article

10 sections

Contents

Examples
Non-IgE
Common
Seasonal
Diagnosis
Fungal
Treatment
See also
References
External links

An allergen is an otherwise harmless substance that triggers an allergic reaction in sensitive individuals by stimulating an immune response.

In technical terms, an allergen is an antigen that is capable of stimulating a type-I hypersensitivity reaction in atopic individuals through immunoglobulin E (IgE) responses. Most humans mount significant immunoglobulin E responses only as a defense against parasitic infections. However, some individuals may respond to many common environmental antigens. In atopic individuals, non-parasitic antigens stimulate inappropriate IgE production, leading to type I hypersensitivity.