Michigan researchers find way to blunt meat allergy caused by ticks

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The lone star tick has made headlines in recent years as it continues to spread further north, but researchers at the University of Michigan may have found a way to blunt the bug’s bite.

It’s not the typical tick threats like Lyme disease that raise the profile of the lone star tick. Unlike other species, the lone star tick is known to trigger a condition called alpha-gal syndrome that generates an allergic reaction when humans eat red meat.

A report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says an estimated 450,000 Americans have developed the allergy, including more than 100,000 people since 2010. People dealing with alpha-gal syndrome may experience different reactions, ranging from hives and nausea to difficulty breathing, dizziness and swelling in the lips, throat and tongue. Unlike other food allergies, alpha-gal reactions typically hit hours after exposure.

For all of you burger bosses or steak aficionados out there, it’s enough to raise some concerns. Thankfully, some biomedical engineers from the University of Michigan may have figured out how to stymie the effects.

A study recently published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Allergy says the key is negating the effects of a sugar that is commonly found both in meat and in the lone star tick’s spit. Essentially, if the tick transmits that sugar during a bite, the human body will associate that sugar with an infection and, when it is seen again, trigger an immune response causing the allergic reaction.

The Michigan researchers were able to develop a group of nanoparticles to “retrain the immune system to ignore the sugar.”

The nanoparticles were developed at the University of Michigan, while a team at the University of Virginia used them in an experiment to determine whether they worked. After two treatments of the nanoparticles, 12 mice were exposed to ticks to trigger an alpha-gal allergic response. Ten of the 12 mice showed a “reduced immune response.”

Lonnie Shea, a professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan and a co-corresponding author on the study, said the concept shows a lot of promise.

“There is the potential here for a platform technology that can be used to address a variety of food-allergic responses,” Shea said in a university blog post , noting similar work on egg and peanut allergies and on celiac disease, another autoimmune condition.

Loren Erickson, a professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, says the results are encouraging and call for further study.

“While these findings highlight the first therapeutic potential of nanoparticles to treat red meat allergy, we’re calling for further studies to better understand the implications and the long-lasting effects of nanoparticle treatment,” Erickson said.

The range of the lone star tick has been expanding in recent years, and they are now being spotted more often in Michigan. Lone star ticks were confirmed in Kalamazoo County in 2022 and one was found in Ottawa County earlier this summer .

A 2022 article published in Entomology Today said their numbers are growing due to milder winters and an increase in the deer population.

Blacklegged ticks and dog ticks are more common across Michigan. The lone star tick is known for the distinctive white marking on its back and is usually the size of a poppyseed. Blacklegged ticks tend to have a more orange color on their back, while dog ticks have a brown and white pattern.

Lucus Pols, chief of the Environmental Health Division for Kalamazoo County, says ticks will become active once temperatures crack 40 degrees.

“Warm and humid, brushy areas, long grass, wooded areas … they just love those types of areas,” Pols told NewsNation affiliate WOOD in 2022 . “We even say that mosquitoes, you’ll see at different times of the year. But any time over 40 degrees, you can see ticks.”

Pols said the key to preventing tickborne diseases is to prevent tick bites, including insect repellent that contains DEET and performing tick checks on yourself, your children and your pets after spending time outdoors.

“They’ll be anywhere on your body. Specifically, they like dark areas, so your armpits, behind your ears, your scalp, groin area, between your legs … all those things are things you want to check,” Pols said.

Experts also recommend emptying and washing all outdoor containers that collect water at least once per week, including small pools or birdbaths. Make sure window screens are properly sealed to prevent insects from getting in your home. Wear tall socks, pants and long sleeves when outdoors, especially from dusk until dawn.

If you’re trying to pull the tick out, Pols says the best way to do it is to use tweezers and slowly pull it away at its head. He explained that yanking the tick or pulling it at any other place of its body could cause the insect to regurgitate and cause an infection.

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