Dr. Iweala’s research lab.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Patients with alpha-gal allergy, characterized by delayed anaphylaxis to mammalian meat, have been described across the globe, yet we have limited understanding of the mechanisms underlying this condition. Dr. Iweala\u2019s lab, working in conjunction with the Commins lab, wants to strengthen our understanding of the basic mechanisms of pathogenesis of alpha-gal allergic syndrome. The red … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":58060,"featured_media":0,"parent":3247,"menu_order":23,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-6449","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDr. Iweala's Lab | Thurston Arthritis Research Center<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/tarc\/research\/basic-and-translational-research\/labs\/dr-iwealas-lab\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dr. Iweala's Lab | Thurston Arthritis Research Center\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Patients with alpha-gal allergy, characterized by delayed anaphylaxis to mammalian meat, have been described across the globe, yet we have limited understanding of the mechanisms underlying this condition. 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![\"Dr.](\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/tarc\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/802\/2018\/09\/Dr-Iweala_Onyi_1695-twp-224x300.jpg\")
Patients with alpha-gal allergy, characterized by delayed anaphylaxis to mammalian meat, have been described across the globe, yet we have limited understanding of the mechanisms underlying this condition. Dr. Iweala\u2019s lab, working in conjunction with the Commins lab, wants to strengthen our understanding of the basic mechanisms of pathogenesis of alpha-gal allergic syndrome. The red meat allergy is associated with tick bites and specific IgE antibody to the oligosaccharide galactose-\u03b1-1,3-galactose (alpha-gal). Alpha-gal food allergy challenges the current paradigm for food allergy because reactions are usually delayed 3 to 6 hours following meat ingestion; IgE antibodies are against a carbohydrate moiety rather than a protein; and the allergy can develop in adulthood after many years of safely tolerating red meat. The lipid content of ingested meat appears to impact reaction consistency and severity. The ability of lipids to promote allergenic responses has also been described in fruit and pollen allergies. Thus, Dr. Iweala\u2019s lab is interested in exploring the role of glycolipids and unconventional T cells in alpha-gal allergy with the vision of broadening our understanding of glycolipids and unconventional T cells in hypersensitivity disorders. We are also investigating the links between tick exposure and immune cell modulation.<\/p>\n