Swine as a novel biomedical research model for eosinophilic esophagitis

Food allergy affects about 8 percent of the world population and is caused by excessive immune responses against food allergens. To optimize biomedical research on food allergy, a group of researchers with expertise in human and swine nutrition, GI physiology, food allergy, and immunology established the Center for Food Allergy Modelling in Pigs (CFAMP). Within this center, we developed a swine model not only to induce food allergies but also to monitor the pathological changes and underlying immune mechanisms. With the high biological relevance of pigs, this model can be used to propel basic, translational, and applied research on food allergy. In the example of the food allergy eosinophilic esophagitis, we follow the induction of a systemic immune response leading to food allergy in the esophagus. In the future, this model will be used to study existing and develop new pre- and intervention strategies for food allergy.