AS ALLERGIES quietly afflict nearly half of Filipino patients, the condition remains largely overlooked. Now, Thomasian researchers are bringing it back to the forefront through an AI-engineered hypoallergen that could pave the way for safer, precision-based therapy.
The project, led by UST instructor Christian Floren Arevalo and Prof. John Donnie Ramos, utilizes artificial intelligence and recombinant protein engineering to redesign a major dust mite allergen into a less reactive, more immune-friendly form.
Instead of working with whole allergen extracts, which contain multiple proteins that may trigger unintended reactions, the researchers isolated the allergen’s most reactive components and used AI to predict how slight sequence modifications could weaken harmful responses while preserving protective ones.
By identifying and modifying these reactive regions through AI-assisted analysis, the team aims to produce a hypoallergen more suitable for Filipino immune profiles.
The study, titled “AI-Driven Engineering of Sui p 2 Hypoallergen and Recombinant Protein Expression for Precision Allergy Immunotherapy,” focused on Sui p 2, a major allergen group from the tropical house dust mite Suidasia pontifica.
This dust mite species thrives in humid environments, such as the Philippines, and is a common trigger of respiratory allergies, including rhinitis and asthma.
Using AI-guided sequence redesign, the researchers engineered a version of Sui p 2 that is expected to reduce allergic reactions while enhancing protective immune responses.
The algorithm helped determine which parts of the allergen cause harmful Immunoglobulin E (IgE) responses and which promote beneficial Immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses, allowing the team to strategically “edit” the protein to shift the immune system’s behavior.
The modified gene was inserted into yeast cells, which produced the recombinant protein, later tested on blood samples from allergic patients.
Yeast systems are widely used in vaccine development because they can safely generate large quantities of a single, purified protein.
“You will decrease its allergenic response while simultaneously improving its protection to the body,” Arevalo told the Varsitarian.
Patient blood samples revealed two key findings: a decrease in IgE, the antibody responsible for allergic reactions, and an increase in IgG, which plays a role in immunity and tolerance.
This combination is the ideal outcome in allergy research, as it shows the body reacting less severely while becoming more resilient to the allergen.
These results suggest that the engineered allergen could function as a prophylactic allergy vaccine, a preventive treatment designed to help the body build tolerance before severe symptoms occur.
Unlike conventional shots that rely on whole allergen extracts, a prophylactic hypoallergen introduces only a weakened, redesigned version of the culprit allergen, reducing the risk of triggering an attack.
“We believe that it [the research] is successful. The utilization of artificial intelligence is indeed integral to the creation of the hypoallergen, which increases its immunogenicity. [This will] improve its tolerance to the allergic people and decrease its allergenic potential,” Arevalo said.
“Although this still entails more clinical and robust experimental studies for the future, we can say that the AI-assisted hypoallergenic construct that we created is more beneficial than the current immunotherapy that we have,” he said.
After two years of research, Arevalo reflected on the importance of using AI responsibly, especially as scientific fields increasingly adopt machine-learning tools for faster, more precise discovery.
“The integration of AI [can help] us to create novel vaccines or novel possible drugs to be able to address the diseases that we have.”
He also emphasized that allergies in tropical countries, such as the Philippines, remain understudied, not because they are rarely fatal, but because they are often overlooked despite significantly affecting daily life, school performance, and productivity.
“Tackling the immunology aspect of addressing diseases is basically addressing the root cause of why we were able to have different diseases,” Arevalo said.
Ramos, who has long advocated for strengthening immunology research in the country, emphasized that building local scientific capacity is essential to improving diagnostics and treatments tailored to Filipino patients.
He also underscored the need to generate new scientific knowledge through research, rather than merely disseminating existing information.
“As a teacher, it’s my responsibility to really spread how important science is. But it’s not only [the] dissemination of knowledge, it’s also important to create new knowledge that can be done through research,” he said.
Ramos was elected as a board member of the Philippine Society for Cell Biology (PSCB) in October, alongside Prof. Grecebio Alejandro of the College of Science.
The organization plans to establish regional chapters to broaden access to cell and molecular biology training and research nationwide, aiming to raise the country’s competitiveness in the Southeast Asian scientific landscape.
“Right now, we are really lagging behind our neighbors in Asean and in the Asia region. We have to push more students [to be immersed in the field],” Ramos said.
The study by Arevalo and Ramos won best poster at the 8th International and 16th Convention of the PSCB, a professional organization dedicated to advancing cell biology research through collaborative projects, training platforms, and scientific collaboration.
