April 2023    
         
         
 
     
  Food allergies on the rise  
     
  According to the US Food and Drug Administration, the nine most common food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. More than 160 foods have been found to cause food allergies, which affect an estimated one in 10 adults and one in 13 children in America. Reactions can range from an itchy mouth to death. Food allergies are on the rise, but researchers are working to prevent and treat them.  
     
  Gut reaction  
     
 
 
 
     
  Image: Jar of peanut butter with spoon balanced on top; whole peanuts scattered on a marble table. (Unsplash/Corleto)  
     
 
     
  Certain gut bacteria can help protect against food allergies by blocking antigens, such as those found in peanuts, from the bloodstream. UChicago immunologist Cathryn Nagler found that delivering the chemical butyrate, produced by a type of gut bacteria, directly to the intestines of mice with a peanut allergy reduced their allergic response.  
     
 
  Big Brains: Why your gut health is so important, with Cathryn Nagler and Eric Pamer  
 
       
  But the team couldn’t just make a butyrate pill. The chemical has a foul odor and taste and gets absorbed in the stomach before reaching the intestines, where it’s needed. To solve the delivery problem, Nagler teamed up with UChicago molecular engineer Jeffrey Hubbell. Together they designed polymers called micelles to carry a payload of butyrate to the intestines before releasing it. This technology could put once-deadly snacks back on the menu.  
     
 
 
  The dish on food allergies  
     
 
     
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One major obstacle to managing food allergies in children is the sheer pervasiveness of trigger foods in their environment.
 
     
     
     
 
     
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Children with food allergies and sensitivities tend to feel left out—and sometimes even lonely.
 
     
     
     
 
     
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A study of twins showed that differences in gut bacteria play a role in food allergies.
 
     
     
 
         
         
    Spotlight    
         
         
 
     
  “Blue to the sky, orange to the thigh.”  
     
 
 
 
     
  Image: Two epinephrine auto-injectors with teal background. (Unsplash/Pixelumina Photography)  
     
 
     
  Severe allergic reactions can come on suddenly and progress quickly. Learn how to recognize anaphylaxis, how and when to administer epinephrine, and why you should always seek emergency care immediately after an injection.  
     
 
 
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