A laboratory discovery from researchers at the National Institutes of Health and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has opened a possible new path for studying alpha-gal syndrome, a tick-associated allergy that can cause reactions to mammal-derived foods and products.
The team isolated 42 human antibodies that recognize alpha-gal while originally studying malaria. When the researchers tested those antibodies against allergens connected to alpha-gal syndrome, 13 attached to at least one of the tested allergens.
Two antibodies created a laboratory blockade
Two antibodies prevented allergy-triggering IgE from patient serum from attaching to two tested alpha-gal allergens. Forms of one antibody also reduced activation of basophils, immune cells involved in allergic reactions, in a laboratory assay.
That result matters because alpha-gal syndrome currently has no specific treatment or prevention beyond avoiding triggers. NIH says approximately 110,000 suspected U.S. cases have been identified since 2010, while noting that the true number is likely higher because cases can go unrecognized.
A lead for research, not a medicine yet
The study did not test a treatment in people and did not show that these antibodies prevent real-world allergic reactions. The experiments used selected allergens, patient serum and laboratory immune-cell tests. More research would be needed to identify antibodies that work across a broader range of triggers and to evaluate safety and effectiveness.
The hopeful part is specific: scientists found human antibodies that interrupted important steps in the allergic response under laboratory conditions. That gives researchers a concrete lead to investigate for a condition that currently asks patients to manage risk largely through avoidance.