Antibodies that block peanut allergic reactions
Official title: Neutralizing antibodies in food allergy
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-11225103 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether certain protective antibodies help children and adults with peanut allergy stay protected after oral immunotherapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | November 20, 2020 |
| Project end | January 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $594,000 |
| NIH project number | 2R01AI155630-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11225103 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are children or adults with IgE-mediated peanut allergy, especially those who have undergone or plan to undergo oral immunotherapy and can provide blood samples.
✕Less likely to help
People without IgE-mediated peanut allergy or whose allergies are to foods other than peanut are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If you have peanut allergy, researchers are studying antibodies made after oral immunotherapy that might keep you protected even if you stop regular peanut exposure. They collect blood and B cells from people who had lasting protection and from those who lost protection, then clone and analyze the allergen-specific antibodies. The team uses lab allergy tests and structural methods to see how these antibodies block the allergy-causing IgE from binding the peanut protein Ara h 2, and they test combinations of antibodies in lab and animal models. Their goal is to understand why only some people make these neutralizing antibodies and how that could guide new, longer-lasting treatments.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to antibody-based treatments or ways to improve oral immunotherapy so more people get lasting protection from peanut allergy.
How similar studies have gone: Oral immunotherapy commonly desensitizes patients and prior work has linked increased IgG4 to treatment, but identifying specific neutralizing antibodies and defining their structures is a newer and promising approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Patil, Sarita U — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Patil, Sarita U
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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.