An international team of researchers has identified one of the main causes of food allergies.

A research team led by Dr. Araceli Diaz Perales from the Center for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP, UPM-INIA), in collaboration with other international research groups, has identified a new allergen Tri tu 14 in durum wheat.

Durum wheat is very popular and is used for making pasta, pizza, bulgur, semolina or couscous. Identification of new allergens can improve diagnostic processes and, therefore, the quality of life of patients with food allergies.

To date, diagnosis has mainly been based on the detection of antibodies that recognize allergens derived from a common wheat variety. It is the main cause of Baker's asthma. As a result, patients with allergies to the colon were not properly diagnosed.

After several months of work, the researchers finally discovered the Tri tu 14 allergen, which belongs to the family of lipid transport proteins with high resistance to both digestion and heat treatment. Therefore, these proteins are not only responsible for the underlying food allergy, but also responsible for more serious reactions, such as anaphylaxis.

According to Dr. Diaz Perales, "the detection of this allergen and the results obtained will allow us to use this protein as a marker for determining the presence of food allergies to wheat." The discovery of new allergens that can help as markers of allergic pathologies is directly related to an improved diagnosis of the patient.

The inclusion of these new markers will help diagnose patients who do not yet have a reliable diagnosis, improving their quality of life. According to the scientists involved in the study, this finding will help doctors make the right decisions about prescribing effective treatments and advise patients.