Understanding How Food Allergies Work May Lead to the Prevention of Anaphylaxis

An new study has given researchers a better understanding of how food allergies cause dangerous anaphylactic reactions. This is encouraging news and could lead to better treatments for severe food allergies. Researchers hope it might one day even prevent anaphylaxis caused by food. To understand why the discovery is such a big deal, keep reading.

Researchers from Yale University and Arizona State recently found that the pathway of allergens is different when they enter the body through food. According to the study, experts used to think that all anaphylactic reactions were caused by the spike in IgE antibodies that occurs when our immune systems incorrectly think an allergen is a threat. The IgE increase leads to anaphylaxis when mast cells release histamines. The histamines are meant to fight the allergen. However, our body over-reacts to the allergen’s presence and the histamines boost causes an “inflammatory response”. The inflammation then causes the symptoms of anaphylaxis such as a drop in blood pressure, an increase in heart rate, and shrinking of the airways.

However, scientists recently found that allergens brought into the body through food cause the body to react differently than the body does to something like a bee sting. With food allergens, our body responds by producing lipid-based molecules, instead of the typical histamines. In other words, when allergic reactions are caused by food, lipid-based molecules attack the perceived invader, causing the anaphylactic response. The body’s mast cells then release cysteinyl leukotrienes instead of histamines to fight against the allergen threat.

You might be wondering if anaphylaxis happens either way, why does it matter if the mast cells release histamine or cysteinyl leukotrienes during an allergic reaction? It matters a lot because current medications for all allergic reactions are designed to handle the increase of histamines. Now, however, scientists understand that food allergy treatments should be developed to address the release of leukotrienes, not the histamines. In addition, the research team hopes the discovery may one day make it possible to develop treatments that will completely block life-threatening food reactions. Thank you to the researchers for all of their work in trying to make life safer and better for the millions of us living with dangerous food allergies.