Genetic Mechanism of Food Allergies

Abstract

Food allergy (FA) is the culmination of different genetic and environmental factors. It is an increasingly concerning health problem affecting millions of people around the globe. Currently, there is research being done on the impact that genetics have on a person’s likelihood of having a food allergy, as well as how genetics research can further help the prevention and treatment of food allergies. This paper aims to review current genetic studies, such as familial aggregation studies and candidate gene association studies, both of which provide evidence that certain genes make it more likely for people to have FA. Some genes including the HLA gene family linked to peanut and apple allergies, the CD14 gene linked to multiple FA studies, and SPINK5, a protease inhibitor protein, all make a person with any of these genes more likely to have FA. This paper also focuses on examining future treatments, specifically immunotherapy treatments like the OIT, and future diagnostic tests for FA, such as the BAT and CRD, all of which are now being tested in labs. The field of FA genetics is a new and promising area of study and has the potential to impact many lives in the future.