Alpha‑gal allergy: delayed reactions to red meat and mammal‑derived products
Official title: IgE antibodies to the mammalian oligosaccharide galactose-alpha-1, 3-galactose (alpha-gal): immunology, epidemiology and relevance to allergic and inflammatory disease
Funded at University of Virginia · NIH-11370743 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are looking at why some adults get delayed allergic reactions hours after eating mammal products (alpha‑gal) and how to better diagnose and manage them.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Virginia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charlottesville, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 1984 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $161,500 |
| NIH project number | 3R37AI020565-41S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11370743 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who experience delayed allergic reactions hours after eating mammalian meat or who have a history of tick exposure and suspected alpha‑gal antibodies are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Children, people without alpha‑gal antibodies, or those with unrelated immediate food allergies are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If you have unexplained hives, itching, stomach upset or worse several hours after eating beef, pork, or other mammal products, this work focuses on the alpha‑gal allergy linked to tick bites. The team follows who develops the allergy and how it spreads geographically, tests foods and medical products for alpha‑gal contamination, and collects blood samples from adults with the condition. Using advanced blood assays including spectral flow cytometry, they compare immune responses in alpha‑gal patients with other food‑allergy conditions like eosinophilic esophagitis. Their approach aims to improve diagnosis, identify risky products, and clarify the immune mechanisms behind the reactions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to clearer diagnoses, better advice about safe foods and medicines, and improved ways to manage or avoid reactions.
How similar studies have gone: Alpha‑gal allergy and its link to lone star ticks and red‑meat reactions are already established, while testing contamination in medical products and deep immune profiling are newer extensions of prior work.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Platts-Mills, Thomas a. — University of Virginia
- Study coordinator: Platts-Mills, Thomas a.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.