Press Release
Bitten by a Tick? Help Science Understand What Happens Next
Luxembourg Institute of Health launches nationwide study on tick bites causing red-meat allergy
The Molecular and Translational Allergology group at the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) is launching a new research study and is calling on the public for help. The “ImmunoGal” study focuses on understanding tick bites and their possible link to red-meat allergy, a poorly understood condition known as α-Gal syndrome. If you have recently been bitten by a tick, LIH researchers encourage you to bring it in and participate in this important study.
Red-meat allergy, or α-Gal syndrome, is a potentially life-threatening condition triggered by eating mammalian meat or other products such as innards. Unlike most food allergies, symptoms typically appear several hours after consumption. The most frequent symptom is a skin reaction, but many patients experience combined symptoms such as skin, gastro-intestinal and/or respiratory symptoms. Recent research suggests that tick bites are the key trigger for developing this allergy, yet much remains unknown.
By studying the immune responses of people right after they are bitten by a tick, we hope to uncover why certain individuals develop allergic sensitizations and others don’t,
explains Dr Christiane Hilger, project leader and head of the Molecular and Translational Allergology group at the LIH.
“Understanding these mechanisms could significantly improve our ability to diagnose, treat, and even prevent red-meat allergies and other tick-borne illnesses.”
Participants who have been bitten by a tick are invited to contact the LIH and visit the Luxembourg Research Clinic within 48 hours of detecting the bite, and again 4-6 weeks later. The study will analyse the tick species, screen for pathogens, and collect blood samples to observe immune responses over time. A subgroup of participants will be invited to a third visit 3 months after the tick bite for a complete follow-up at the Allergology unit of CHL.
The ImmunoGal study also aims to answer broader questions, including:
- When and where do people get bitten by ticks?
- Which tick species are responsible?
- How frequently do ticks carry pathogens?
- Why does the immune system sometimes respond with severe allergies?
For more information, visit the study website at www.lih.lu/immunogal and contact the LIH via immunogal@lih.lu or +352 26970-400 to participate.
Your contribution could help scientists develop better prevention strategies and improve public health responses to tick-borne diseases and emerging allergies.
Funding and collaboration:
The study will be conducted in collaboration with the Centre Hospitalier Luxembourg. The work is supported with funding from the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR), project ImmunoGal C24/BM/18907591.
About the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH)
The Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) is a public biomedical research organisation focused on precision health and invested in becoming a leading reference in Europe for the translation of scientific excellence into meaningful benefits for patients.
The LIH places the patient at the heart of all its activities, driven by a collective obligation towards society to use knowledge and technology arising from research on patient derived data to have a direct impact on people’s health. Its dedicated teams of multidisciplinary researchers strive for excellence, generating relevant knowledge linked to immune related diseases and cancer.
The institute embraces collaborations, disruptive technology and process innovation as unique opportunities to improve the application of diagnostics and therapeutics with the long-term goal of preventing disease.