Name: Assistant Professor Venu Gangur
Department: Food Science and Human Nutrition and MSU's National Food Safety & Toxicology Center
Type of research: How and why people develop food allergies
Date of research: Gangur has about four ongoing projects, and most of them began in 2001.
Basics of the project: Allergies begin with a process called "sensitization," which can potentially occur when a person's immune system comes into contact with certain food proteins for the first time.
A certain antibody can react with these food proteins, which increases the likelihood of an allergy developing, Gangur said. If these antibodies do not react with the proteins during this first encounter, then the person will not develop an allergy to that food protein.
But if a person's antibodies do react — or sensitize — and they are exposed to the food proteins a second time, a clinical allergic reaction can appear, such as a rash.
One of the ways Gangur is testing this theory is by using mice.
By exposing a mouse's skin to food proteins, he can test if a food allergy develops. Data shows hazelnuts and sesame seeds can sensitize the skin of mice, Gangur said.
In the past, it was believed that people became sensitized to food allergies by eating certain types of food, Gangur said. But through his research, Gangur found that the cause of sensitization actually might be from contact of food proteins with skin, he said.
For example, if skin ointments containing peanut oils are used on a baby's skin, the baby could potentially develop an allergy to peanuts, Gangur said.
Social impact of research: "If we find out the mechanism of how they start, then we have a handle on how to control sensitization," Gangur said. With this control, scientists will be able to predict potential allergens and provide better protection for people to prevent allergies.
Grants and funding: Gangur receives funding from several areas for his projects, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and the MSU Foundation's Intramural Research Grant Program.
