Scientists Find a Possible New Way to Fight a Dangerous Tick-Borne Allergy

A deadly tick-borne allergy might have finally met its match. Scientists are hopeful that they may have discovered a potential treatment for alpha-gal syndrome. Read on for all of the promising details.

Scientists Tout Breakthrough in Alpha-Gal Syndrome Treatment

An experimental treatment is showing great promise in the fight against alpha-gal syndrome (AGS). This serious tick-borne allergy is often referred to as the red meat allergy. The potentially life-threatening allergy to red meat can develop after a tick bite.

Medical researchers believe that they may have discovered specially designed antibodies that could work as a shield against AGS. The results of the breakthrough were recently published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

People with AGS often exhibit allergic reactions after eating red meat containing alpha-gal. The lone star tick is typically associated with AGS in the U.S.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "When a tick bites, it can transfer alpha-gal from its saliva into a person's blood. The body's natural defenses, or immune system, can identify alpha-gal as a threat and trigger an allergic reaction."

Researchers involved in the study used malaria parasites to look for antibodies that might identify alpha-gal in them. The scientists then collected immune cells from individuals who had been exposed to malaria. The next step was to isolate the 42 human antibodies that could potentially recognize alpha-gal.