# Understanding alpha-gal red meat allergy

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2020 · $459,827

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction that can be rapidly progressing and fatal. In instances where
the triggering allergen is not known, establishing the etiology of anaphylaxis is pivotal to long-term risk
management. Our recent work has identified a novel IgE antibody response to a mammalian oligosaccharide
epitope, galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (α-gal), that has been associated with two distinct forms of anaphylaxis:
i) immediate onset anaphylaxis during first exposure to intravenous cetuximab, and ii) delayed onset
anaphylaxis 3-6 hours after ingestion of mammalian food products (e.g., beef and pork). The overarching goal
for this proposal is that defining both the cause and the mechanism of α-gal IgE response, as well as
identifying the antigen responsible for the delayed food reactions, will provide insight into the factors
that govern allergic responses and control anaphylaxis. Our novel α-gal-allergic mouse model will allow
us to test the central hypothesis that tick bites induce a basophil-dependent, α-gal specific immune response
that, due to unconventional T cell antigen presentation, results in delayed allergic reactions to red meat. The
significance of investigating these reactions comes not only from the obvious importance of understanding a
novel life-threatening form of food allergy, but also because of the possibility of defining a totally new
mechanism for reactions related to an important food substance. Our plan of research focuses on the
elucidating the role of immune cells in the murine model, defining the role of tick bites in initiating the IgE and
understanding the antigen that appears in the bloodstream 3-6 hours after eating beef, pork or lamb.
 Our current work has shown that IgE to the carbohydrate alpha-gal is present in a cohort of patients
who report delayed anaphylaxis and allergic reactions after eating mammalian meat. We believe that IgE to α-
gal represents a novel cause of food allergy. The specific aims outlined in this proposal are designed to
establish the role of tick bites in initiating the α-gal IgE response (Specific Aim 1), investigate the mechanism
for IgE production (Specific Aim 2) and elucidate the mechanism for delayed reactions (Specific Aim 3). Overall,
these studies are uniquely positioned to provide insight into a recently recognized allergic response that affects
>3,500 patients in the southeastern U.S. as well as identify the molecules present during an allergic reaction
and establish a model for ecto-parasitic tick bites initiating an IgE response.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9990678
- **Project number:** 5R01AI135049-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Scott Palmer Commins
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $459,827
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-24 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9990678

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9990678, Understanding alpha-gal red meat allergy (5R01AI135049-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-10 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9990678. Licensed CC0.

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