The Chai Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Characterization of epitope-specific T cells responding to cow’s milk allergens: A study to develop new T cell based blood tests for cow’s milk allergy
IRAS ID
248542
Contact name
Mich Erlewyn-Lajeunesse
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This study is looking at how the immune system works in adults and children with milk allergy. The immune system is made up of different types of cells designed to recognise and respond to germs. One type of immune cells are called T lymphocytes or T cells. They have a central role in directing the immune response and are one of the key cells that recognise invading micro-organisms. In milk allergy these T cells recognise cow’s milk, not germs, and that’s part of the problem. Once milk has been recognised, the immune system then reacts – causing an allergic reaction to occur.
We are looking at how T cells work in milk allergy, and in particular how they recognise cow’s milk. If we can understand this first step of the immune response, we might be able to find new allergy tests for milk allergy, and look at ways of treating or preventing it from happening in the first place.
The Chai study will take blood samples from children and adults with milk allergy, or those who have outgrown their milk allergy, and look to see how the blood T cells interact with milk proteins in the laboratory.REC name
North West - Greater Manchester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/NW/0600
Date of REC Opinion
12 Dec 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion