All roads lead to IgA: Mapping the many pathways of IgA induction in the gut

Emily R. Siniscalco, Adam Williams, Stephanie C. Eisenbarth*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of food allergy and related pathologies in recent years has underscored the need to understand the factors affecting adverse reactions to food. Food allergy is caused when food-specific IgE triggers the release of histamine from mast cells. However, other food-specific antibody isotypes exist as well, including IgG and IgA. IgA is the main antibody isotype in the gut and mediates noninflammatory reactions to toxins, commensal bacteria, and food antigens. It has also been thought to induce tolerance to food, thus antagonizing the role of food-specific IgE. However, this has remained unclear as food-specific IgA generation is poorly understood. Particularly, the location of IgA induction, the role of T cell help, and the fates of food-specific B cells remain elusive. In this review, we outline what is known about food-specific IgA induction and highlight areas requiring further study. We also explore how knowledge of food-specific IgA induction can be informed by and subsequently contribute to our overall knowledge of gut immunity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)66-82
Number of pages17
JournalImmunological Reviews
Volume326
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2024

Funding

The authors thank Elise Liu, Laura Hoyt, Dominique Ryalls, and Julien Amat for their helpful discussions and for critical review of the manuscript and figures. They are also grateful for the broader support of Joseph Craft and all members of the Eisenbarth/Williams Lab and the Craft Lab. E.R.S. is supported by the Yale Immunobiology Gershon Fellowship. S.C.E. and A. W. are supported by a grant from the Food Allergy Science Initiative, Inc., Food Allergy Fund, R01 AI136942 and R01AI177532.

Keywords

  • IgA
  • Peyer's patches
  • antibody
  • food allergy
  • mucosal immunity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Immunology and Allergy
  • Immunology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'All roads lead to IgA: Mapping the many pathways of IgA induction in the gut'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this