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A new study out of the University of Chicago and Stanford University on pairs of twins with and without food allergies has identified potential microbial players in this condition. The results are published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The study grew out of prior research in the Nagler laboratory at UChicago on the fecal microbiota in infants. By transplanting fecal microbes from healthy and food-allergic infants to germ-free mice (who do not possess a microbiome), investigators found that the healthy infant microbiota was protective against the development of food allergies.
"In this study, we looked at a more diverse population across a large range of ages," said Cathryn Nagler, professor at UChicago. "By studying twin pairs, we had the benefit of examining genetically identical individuals who grew up in the same environment, which allowed us to begin to parse out the influence of genetic and environmental factors."
After a discussion at a research conference, Nagler and her colleague at Stanford, Kari Nadeau, MD, decided to collaborate on the project....