# Role of epithelial barrier function in food-induced anaphylaxis

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2024 · $394,641

## Abstract

Role of epithelial barrier function in food-induced anaphylaxis
ABSTRACT
Food allergy is a growing public health problem with approximately 15 million people affected in
the United States. In allergic food disease, IgE on mast cells bind to ingested antigens leading to
the activation and degranulation of mast cells. In order to activate mast cells, food antigens must
pass through the intestinal epithelial barrier and activate cells in the lamina propria. Junction
Adhesion Molecule-A (JAM-A) is a tight junction transmembrane protein that plays a major role in
the maintenance of barrier function in epithelia and endothelia. In the small intestine, JAM-A has
been shown to be important in epithelial barrier function, and mice that lack JAM-A (JAM-A-/-)
have increased intestinal permeability. These JAM-A-/- mice develop severe food allergic disease
compared to WT animals and have increased mast cells in the lamina propria of the small
intestine, as well as increased activation of these cells. In this proposal, we aim to better
understand the role of JAM-A in the development of severe food allergy, including the induction
of a strong Th2 response that results in mast cell accumulation in the small intestine. We further
plan to target those mast cells in susceptible animals with the aim of decreasing the allergic
response. To do this, we will neutralize stem cell factor (SCF), a cytokine that is required for the
growth and activation of peripheral tissue mast cells. We hypothesize that neutralizing SCF will
prevent mast cell accumulation and protect from severe anaphylactic reactions. These
experiments will contribute to our understanding of barrier function in food allergic reactions, as
well as provide a potential method for decreasing these reactions in the presence of a
dysregulated barrier.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10808954
- **Project number:** 5R01AI167957-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Catherine Mary Ptaschinski
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $394,641
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-04-01 → 2028-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10808954

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10808954, Role of epithelial barrier function in food-induced anaphylaxis (5R01AI167957-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10808954. Licensed CC0.

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