# Project 2: Neuroimmune Interaction Mechanisms in Food Allergy

> **NIH NIH P01** · FOOD ALLERGY SCIENCE INITIATIVE, INC. · 2024 · $593,250

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Immune challenges engage neural circuits to evoke stereotyped behavioral and physiological responses. For
example, infections evoked neuronally orchestrated sickness symptoms that include fever, lethargy, decreased
appetite, nausea, and cough. Likewise, allergic reactions and anaphylaxis evoke neuronal responses that
include nausea, cardiorespiratory changes, and sensations of discomfort and pain. Despite their medical
importance, little is understood about (1) how the brain detects the presence of an allergen, (2) what neural
circuits are engaged, and (3) what sympathetic and parasympathetic motor programs control autonomic
physiology and immune responses. In this project, we will chart communication mechanisms between the
immune and nervous systems that underlie neuronal responses to allergens. We have assembled an
expansive genetic toolkit to study neurons involved in neuro-immune crosstalk and the gut-brain axis. We will
use state-of-the-art neurogenetic approaches such as optogenetics, chemogenetics, in vivo imaging, fiber
photometry, targeted neuron ablation, and anatomical mapping to study the role of allergen-activated neural
circuits roles in physiology and behavior. We hypothesize that specific sensory and motor neuron types
contribute to food allergen-evoked behavioral and physiological changes. Characterizing allergen-activated
neurons will provide an essential foundation for mechanistic study and potentially therapy design.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10762662
- **Project number:** 1P01AI179273-01
- **Recipient organization:** FOOD ALLERGY SCIENCE INITIATIVE, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** STEPHEN Daniel LIBERLES
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $593,250
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-05-14 → 2029-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10762662

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10762662, Project 2: Neuroimmune Interaction Mechanisms in Food Allergy (1P01AI179273-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10762662. Licensed CC0.

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