Rare antibodies with potential to combat alpha-gal syndrome identified
National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers have discovered rare antibodies that could inform the development of an intervention for alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), an emerging tick bite-associated condition that can lead to allergic reactions to a molecule in red meat and other animal products. In laboratory tests, these antibodies acted as a biological shield, blocking human allergic antibodies…
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers have identified rare antibodies that may help develop a treatment for alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), a condition caused by tick bites that leads to allergic reactions to alpha-gal, a molecule found in meat and certain non-primate mammal products. In lab tests, these antibodies prevented human allergic antibodies from binding to red meat allergens.
AGS cases are rising in the U.S. and globally with no current treatments or prevention other than avoiding red meat. NIH scientists found 13 out of 42 alpha-gal-specific antibodies could bind to AGS allergens, two of which blocked patient IgE from attaching to AGS allergens and one interfered with basophil activation, immune cells involved in allergic reactions. This breakthrough could lead to new treatments preventing allergic reactions in AGS patients.
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