Building an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Measuring Mouse IgE Reactive to Peanut Proteins

Food allergies are on the rise around the world. Many investigators have shown a link between the microbiome and the development of food allergies; however, additional studies are needed to determine if there is a causal relationship. Our lab is investigating whether microbiome interventions early in life can impact production of peanut protein-reactive IgE antibodies. However, current ELSIA kits are limited in their specificity to the wide range of food allergens. This project aimed to develop an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay to detect peanut-specific IgE. The ELISA was then used to test serum samples from two studies to measure the levels of peanut-specific IgE present. This ELISA will allow us to study how certain gut microbes can influence immune responses to food allergens