University of Minnesota study links gut bacteria to severe food allergies

Researchers from the University of Minnesota published a study in The Journal of Immunology showing that variations in the gut microbiome can intensify food allergy reactions. Using mice with naturally different gut bacterial communities, the team demonstrated that animals with a more permeable intestinal lining experienced markedly worse allergy symptoms, accompanied by an increase in allergy‑promoting Th2 cells and a reduction in regulatory T cells.

When mice from the two microbiome groups were housed together, the gut bacteria of the milder‑allergy mice shifted toward the composition of the severe‑allergy group, and their allergic responses worsened. The findings suggest that gut‑microbe composition and intestinal barrier integrity play a direct role in the severity of food allergies, opening the possibility of future therapies that restore a healthy microbiome or strengthen the gut barrier. Human studies are needed before such treatments can be pursued.