# Cellular and molecular mechanisms of IgE cell memory in allergic responses

> **NIH NIH R01** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2021 · $510,480

## Abstract

Project Summary:
IgE antibodies are essential mediators of allergic reactions. Small amounts of allergen-specific IgE can cause
life-threatening anaphylaxis, but anaphylaxis can be prevented by non-specific or low affinity IgE.
Understanding the mechanisms that control the production of high affinity and low affinity IgE is thus of
outmost importance for the development targeted therapies. Previous work from our laboratory demonstrated
that IgE cells do not follow the classical differentiation pathway that has been well described for IgG cells. IgE
germinal center cells are transient and apoptotic, and fail to generate long lived plasma cells and functional IgE
memory cells. Nevertheless, high affinity IgE can be generated by the sequential switching of IgG1 cells to IgE.
The mechanisms that maintain the memory of IgE responses are poorly understood. Long-term antibody
responses, typically those involving IgG antibodies, are maintained by memory B cells that are reactivated
upon re-exposure to antigen, and by long lived plasma cells. It is clear that the mechanisms of memory of IgE
responses must be unique and different from IgG memory. In this application, we will address the long-lasting
question of the cellular origin of high and low affinity IgE in memory responses. Ultimately we want to
understand what it takes to make pathogenic IgE, and define steps in the process that could be amenable to
therapeutic intervention.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10130432
- **Project number:** 5R01AI130343-06
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** MARIA A CUROTTO DE LAFAILLE
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $510,480
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-04-01 → 2023-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10130432

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10130432, Cellular and molecular mechanisms of IgE cell memory in allergic responses (5R01AI130343-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10130432. Licensed CC0.

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