Fighting Allergies with Precision: How Omics Are Changing Clinical Practice

EAACI Position Paper outlines how how high-dimensional omics approaches are reshaping are reshaping the future of diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases

• Molecular and Translational Allergology
• Department of Infection and Immunity

A new position paper by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) reviews how omics sciences such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics are transforming allergy research. By combining molecular data with clinical features, researchers are refining disease classifications, identifying biomarkers, and tailoring treatments for diseases such as asthma, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis and drug hypersensitivity, although challenges remain in applying these advances into clinical practice.

The diagnosis and management of allergies may be on the cusp of a transformation. In a comprehensive paper recently published by a task force of the EAACI, bringing together a group of international experts, including scientists from the Luxembourg Institute of Health, the authors evaluate how omics technologies are helping to chart new paths in understanding and treating allergies.

Dr Christiane Hilger, co-leader of the Molecular & Translational Allergology Group at the Luxembourg Institute of Health, participated in the EAACI Task Force ‘Omic technologies in allergy research’ that published the paper. The topic is closely linked to the focus of the group: patient-centered research, aimed at advancing the diagnosis and treatment of allergy patients.

“Omics” refers to large-scale, data rich sciences such as genomics (genes), proteomics (proteins), transcriptomics (RNA), cytomics (cells), and metabolomics (metabolites). Together, these approaches can generate detailed molecular profiles that provide more information than traditional diagnostics. Most importantly, they advance the mechanistic understanding of allergic diseases.

In the paper, the researchers highlight how these insights are beginning to improve the classification of diseases. For example, asthma, which has long been treated as a single disorder, is now seen as a variety of subtypes with different underlying mechanisms. Omics studies have already identified molecular signatures that can classify asthma patients more precisely, allowing for more personalised treatments. Similar advances have also been reported in atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, food allergies and drug hypersensitivity.

Beyond individual conditions, the authors draw attention to overlaps across different allergic diseases. By comparing molecular pathways, researchers are uncovering shared mechanisms that explain why certain patients are prone to multiple allergies. Findings like these could pave the way for therapies that target mutual causes, rather than treating each condition on its own.

While omics are promising, significant barriers remain. Issues of cost, standardisation of sample collection and processing, data complexity, and regulatory approval needed for open-source data sharing hamper the translation of discoveries into clinical tools. The need for minimally invasive biosampling procedures and highly sensitive methods allowing for multiomics analyses on a single sample also add to the challenges. To overcome these hurdles, the EAACI calls for stronger collaborations between scientists, clinicians and data specialists, along with harmonised protocols and investment in translational research.

Integrating omics into allergy research offers an unprecedented chance to move beyond one-size-fits-all treatments and to develop diagnostics that can predict who will respond best to which therapy. We are not just classifying molecules and diseases, we are mapping them in ways that should directly improve the lives of patients,

emphasised Dr Christiane Hilger.

The paper concludes that while there is much to be done, the path forward is clear. If properly integrated into clinical practice, omics technologies could lead to more personalised allergy care, earlier and more accurate diagnoses, and more efficient use of healthcare resources. For millions of allergy sufferers, the translation of these sciences into routine medical care is of paramount importance.