Addressing Life-Threatening Allergic Reactions

Tell us about the research you conducted as a graduate student. What did your studies find?

Food allergies are immune-mediated adverse reactions to food antigens. Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies in children and can result in anaphylaxis, an allergic reaction so severe it can be life-threatening. But our understanding of the mechanisms involved in food allergies and anaphylactic reactions is still limited.

My research project aimed to identify the immune cells and signaling pathways that are critical for anaphylaxis to occur. The most important findings of my study entailed identifying new immune components involved in anaphylaxis that now can be potential targets for prevention and treatment.

For one, my study found that a specialized subset of immune cells, known as T follicular helper cells or Tfh cells, and IgG antibodies play an important role in triggering the cell signaling that leads to anaphylactic reactions. In particular, the work showed the PD-1 molecule on Tfh cells is important in regulating pathogenic antibodies that cause anaphylaxis.

Additionally, my study indicated that a drug used for cancer immunotherapy (anti-PD-1) is capable of preventing peanut allergies in mice. Dr. Kita's lab will follow up with further studies to better understand the mechanisms involved in this preventive strategy. Whether or not a similar approach or modified approaches can be useful in humans is an area that the field can investigate in future studies.

How has your experience at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences prepared you for your future career?

My journey to Mayo's graduate program has been a long and incredible one since my undergraduate degree back home in Nepal. My training and experience at Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences has been wonderful. It shaped me not only as a critical scientist, but also as a person, through the supportive and collaborative interactions I've had during my time here. I've been able to help and mentor rotation students and junior graduate students, which has been helpful to develop the skills to be able to both teach and learn.

What's next?

For the immediate future, I plan to further my training and experience as a postdoctoral fellow in industry. In the long run, I want to serve the community through my research work as an immunology scientist.