Developing an early-life mouse model of oral tolerance to peanut protein

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dc.contributor.authorKnox, Saryn E.
dc.contributor.authorMebs, Rachael M.
dc.contributor.authorFitzPatrick, Rachel D.
dc.contributor.authorNorton, Natasha J.
dc.contributor.authorReynolds, Lisa A.
dc.date.accessioned2026-04-20T16:30:32Z
dc.date.available2026-04-20T16:30:32Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.description.abstractOral tolerance is a state of immune unresponsiveness to food which is induced by oral consumption. Several mechanisms behind oral tolerance have been studied in adult mice, but minimal work has been done at the neonatal timepoint despite unique factors at this stage. Here we aim to develop a model of oral tolerance to peanut protein in mouse pups. Pups were exposed to various doses of peanut prior to weaning. Later, mice were challenged with peanut and an adjuvant. We measured antibodies using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. We measured production of cytokines from murine splenocytes using a cytometric bead array. We observed a decrease in peanut-specific IgG1 in mice exposed to peanut prior to weaning compared to those given water. However, only mice exposed to higher doses had significant reduction. We also saw significant reduction in total IgE for mice who received higher doses, but not for those with lower doses. We observed a trend towards decreased production of TH2 cytokines in mice with higher doses of peanut. The data suggest that exposure to peanut prior to weaning could generate tolerance to a later challenge with peanut, but this may be dose dependent. Experimental repeats are needed to confirm minimum dose.
dc.description.reviewstatusReviewed
dc.description.scholarlevelUndergraduate
dc.description.sponsorshipJamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1828/23627
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherUniversity of Victoria
dc.subjectimmunology
dc.subjectoral tolerance
dc.subjectpeanut
dc.subjectfood allergy
dc.subjectmouse models
dc.subjectearly-life
dc.subjectJamie Cassels Undergraduate Research Awards (JCURA)
dc.subject.departmentDepartment of Biochemistry and Microbiology
dc.titleDeveloping an early-life mouse model of oral tolerance to peanut protein
dc.typePoster

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