The glycan did it: How the α-gal story rescued carbohydrates for allergists - A US perspective

IgE antibodies to carbohydrate epitopes on allergens are thought to be less common than IgE antibodies to protein epitopes and also of much less clinical significance. Our recent work, however, has identified a novel IgE antibody response to a mammalian oligosaccharide epitope, galactose-alpha- 1,3-galactose (alpha-gal). IgE to alpha-gal has been associated with two distinct forms of anaphylaxis including delayed allergic reactions a.er eating beef, pork or lamb. IgE antibody responses to alpha-gal have now been found globally. Therefore, establishing the mechanism of the specific IgE antibody response to alpha-gal will be an important aspect to address as this area of research continues.