UK FSA and MRC Issue Joint Call for Collaborative Research on Food Allergy

Food allergy is a common and important disease, affecting up to 2% of adults and between 5% and 8% of children in the UK. Symptoms vary but can be severe and result in anaphylaxis, and occasionally death.

1/25/2011 --- The Food Standards Agency and the Medical Research Council (MRC) have announced a joint call for research to help improve understanding of the biological mechanisms that cause food allergies.

Food allergy is a common and important disease, affecting up to 2% of adults and between 5% and 8% of children in the UK. Symptoms vary but can be severe and result in anaphylaxis, and occasionally death.

This new initiative is seeking to support research that will address important questions such as:

•    What aspects of the immune system, other than the IgE antibody, are important in food allergy and how do these factors exert their effects?
•    What factors influence the severity of allergic reactions to foods?
•    What immunological factors in different human tissues (e.g. skin versus gut) cause differences in immune and allergic responses to food proteins?
•    How does the nature of exposure (route, timing and duration) influence the acquisition of sensitisation to food proteins?
•    What are the important factors on food proteins that affect their ability to cause allergic sensitisation?

This research will be used to help improve the diagnosis and management of food allergies, to identify risk factors for the development of food allergy in early life which will inform advice to consumers, as well as to help design effective interventions to prevent the development of food allergies, and to help desensitise people from allergies.

Details of the research call, including how to apply and who to contact for more information, can be found via the link below to the Highlight Notice on the MRC’s website. The deadline for applications is May 2011.