Research

RESEARCH: Asthma, Allergy & Immunology

The groundbreaking research of Thomas Platts-Mills, Scott Commins, and colleagues on the relationship of tick bites and meat allergies – covered widely in the national media, including CNN and the Wall Street Journal – was extended in the past year with observations of delayed anaphylaxis to mammalian meat in children. The research was published in the May 2013 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Allergy Division faculty also published the first description of pork-cat syndrome in the United States (J Allergy Clin Immunol. 131:923-25, 2013). Dr. Commins presented these important research findings at the Boston City-Wide Grand Rounds in March 2013, as well as at the Central Atlantic States Association of Food and Drug Officials Annual Meeting in May 2013.

Highlight: First Cases of Pork-Cat Syndrome in the U.S. Reported by UVA Allergy Faculty

Research Awards

The division steadily increased its total research funding over the past five years (from $1.2 million in 2009 to $2 million in 2012). NIH funds accounted for about 94% of the total in FY 2012.

Faculty Grants

Larry Borish

5R01AI057438-08 – Interplay between LTE4/LTE4 Receptors and IFN-y with Mast Cells and Eosinophils i
2R01AI057438-06A1 – MD-INMD AL-218 Program Income Account (GC12068)

Scott Commins

5K08AI085190-04 – IgE to Carbohydrates Causes Delayed Anaphylaxis

Thomas Platts-Mills

5R01AI020565-28 – MD-INMD AL311 Dust Mite, Cockroach and Cat Allergens in Asthma
1U01AI100799-01 – An Evaluation of Treatment with Omalizumab to Improve the Asthmatic Response
2R01AI020565-29 – MD-INMD Dust Mite, Cockroach and Cat Allergens in Asthma
5R01AI020565 – MD-INMD AL311 Program Income GC11691 Dust Mite, Cockroach, and Cat Allergens in Asthma

Judith Woodfolk

5R01AI052196-09 – Immune response to Cat: Regulatory & Effector T Cells
5R01AR059058-03 – Regulation of TSLP Receptor Expression and Function in Eczema in Mice and Man
AAAAI Wisniewski – Pathogenic and Regulatory T Cells in Allergic and Tolerant Responses to Peanut