Return of Alpha Gal
Summary
This Radiolab episode explores Alpha-gal syndrome, a rare meat allergy triggered by Lone Star tick bites, through the story of producer Amy Pearl. Hosts Robert Krulwich and Lulu Garcia-Navarro explain how tick saliva causes the immune system to attack a sugar found in mammalian meat. A 2021 update reveals that Amy’s story inspired scientists to create genetically modified pigs lacking this sugar, enabling safe organ transplants and meat for allergic patients.
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