D1.57 - New allergens registered in the WHO/IUIS Allergen Database in 2025: new and old foes

The WHO/IUIS Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee defines the systematic nomenclature of allergens from any allergenic source. Since 1986, more than 1,140 allergenic (glyco-/lipo)-proteins were registered in the database based mainly on (1) evidence of IgE reactivity, (2) protein expression in the biological material relevant to human exposure (mRNA or protein level), and (3) determination of the allergen amino acid sequence.

Investigators intending to register a new allergen candidate completed an allergen submission form. Each submission was peer-reviewed by at least two Sub-Committee members to assess the fulfillment of the above criteria. Accepted allergenic proteins were registered in the database with an official name based on their taxonomy and protein family membership.

In 2025, twenty-two new allergenic proteins were approved by the Allergen Nomenclature Sub-Committee. Sixteen new airborne allergens originated from pollen, house dust mites (HDM) and cockroach, whereas six were food allergens from peanut, seafood or tree nut. Apart from two submissions from Spain and Austria, all other allergens were identified by researchers from the Asian region. Six new allergenic proteins expanded the allergome of peanut (2), HDM (2) and cockroach (2), three highly relevant allergenic sources with a large number of previously identified allergens. Tropomyosin was the first identified allergen in Antarctic krill and common octopus, confirming the importance of this pan-allergen in seafood allergy. Two tree nut allergens from Yunnan pine and English walnut tree were also added. Finally, eleven allergens from desert wormwood (Artemisia desertorum), a key species in China’s ‘Green Great Wall’ that is expanding due to global warming, were also registered.

The allergen registrations in 2025 confirmed the ongoing advancement in allergy research in developed Asian countries and highlight the need of a comprehensive characterization of allergenic sources sensitizing populations outside of Western Countries to fill our knowledge gap. Climate change and the quest for novel sustainable protein sources inevitably affect the allergen exposome, necessitating continuous adaptation of diagnostic tools and the exchange of allergy expertise in view of globalized transfer of (allergenic) foods. The importance of these newly identified allergens remains to be confirmed by further investigations on their abundance in their respective source and their clinical relevance in population-based cohort studies.