New Study Uncovers Why Humans Develop Antibodies to Peanut
Published in Science Translational Medicine
Research supported in part by the Food Allergy Science Initiative (FASI)
Why do humans naturally develop antibodies to food—especially when they are not allergic? A new study led by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) reveals that our immune systems are genetically predisposed to produce a specific type of antibody, called IgG, in response to peanut proteins. These findings offer new insight into how food-specific immune responses begin—and how they might be redirected to prevent food allergies.
The study, supported in part by FASI, found that most people carry genes that make it easy to generate a particular set of antibodies to peanut. These antibodies—remarkably similar across individuals—form whether or not someone is allergic. Using a newly developed blood assay, the researchers detected these “public” antibodies not only in peanut-allergic patients but also in young children shortly after first exposure to peanut, suggesting that our immune systems are wired to respond in consistent, predictable ways.
“Our research not only explains why these antibodies appear in nearly everyone, but also why they’re so strikingly similar, even across young children,” said senior author and FASI Investigator, Dr. Sarita Patil, Co-Director of the Food Allergy Center at MGH and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. “This level of convergence in antibody response is unusual—and opens the door to more universal therapeutic strategies.”
These convergent antibody responses could become a blueprint for future treatments. By understanding why these food-specific antibodies form in both allergic and non-allergic individuals, scientists may one day be able to interrupt the development of harmful allergic responses—before they begin.
“If we can better understand how these antibodies form and what causes them to shift from being protective to problematic, we may be able to develop targeted therapies that prevent or treat food allergy at scale,” said Patil.
This work highlights FASI’s commitment to decoding the origins of food allergy and supporting foundational discoveries that pave the way for new treatments.
Citation:
Marini-Rapoport, O. et al. “Germline-encoded recognition of peanut underlies development of convergent antibodies in humans.” Science Translational Medicine. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adw4148
Photo credit to Monica Fernández-Quintero and Johannes R. Loeffler, co-authors on the paper.
Media Contact
Marcela Quintanilla
Massachusetts General Hospital
mquintanilladieck@mgh.harvard.edu
Erin Straub
Food Allergy Science Initiative
estraub@foodallergyscience.org
About Mass General Brigham
Mass General Brigham is an integrated academic health care system, uniting great minds to solve the hardest problems in medicine for our communities and the world. Mass General Brigham connects a full continuum of care across a system of academic medical centers, community and specialty hospitals, a health insurance plan, physician networks, community health centers, home care, and long-term care services. Mass General Brigham is a nonprofit organization committed to patient care, research, teaching, and service to the community. In addition, Mass General Brigham is one of the nation’s leading biomedical research organizations with several Harvard Medical School teaching hospitals. For more information, please visit massgeneralbrigham.org.
About the Food Allergy Science Initiative (FASI)
The Food Allergy Science Initiative (FASI) is a nonprofit research accelerator dedicated to transforming the understanding and treatment of food allergies. By uniting leading scientists, clinicians, and innovators across disciplines—from immunology and neurobiology to microbiology and bioengineering—FASI drives high-impact discoveries that aim to deliver real-world therapies for patients. FASI funds and coordinates a collaborative research network anchored at top institutions, including several Harvard-affiliated hospitals. Committed to end-to-end science, FASI supports work from the bench to the clinic to solve one of medicine’s most urgent challenges. Learn more at foodallergyscience.org.
JOURNAL
Science Translational Medicine
DOI
ARTICLE TITLE
Germline-encoded recognition of peanut underlies development of convergent antibodies in humans
ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE
11-Jun-2025