Research Initiative

Our long term treatment and research model actively treats children with food allergies.

Recent Publications

At the Southern California Food Allergy Institute, research is at the heart of the discoveries that allow us to develop individualized treatment for each one of our patients.

Our facilities are equipped with cutting-edge technology designed to study proteins, cells, and molecular biology core in pursuit of protein characterization and biomarker discovery. Each patient contributes millions of additional data points that continue to reveal and reinforce patterns that lead to advancements in care and breakthrough discoveries. Over time, our already successful, integrated approach can be even further refined for more and more precise food allergy treatment.

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Clinical Precision Medicine

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Translational Science Research

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LaboratoryResearch

Cybernetics Food Anaphylaxis Panel

Our growing research of trillions of data points gathered from our food allergy patients continues to help us refine a carefully calculated plan of success for each individual.

The Cybernetics Food Anaphylaxis Panel is the first diagnostic platform of its kind, combining applied mathematics, machine learning models, and high complexity diagnostic evaluations of the trillions of food anaphylaxis biomarkers we’ve collected.

The platform utilizes a single blood draw sample to evaluate hundreds of biomarkers across allergen proteins, as well as the individual immune system’s state of allergic potential.

The data received from this platform’s analysis allows artificial intelligence software developed by the Southern California Food Allergy Institute to design a safe and effective strategy for individual patients to successfully achieve tolerance to foods that previously caused severe or life-threatening reactions.

The Cybernetic Food Anaphylaxis Profile is…

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a cutting edge approach to laboratory diagnostics that is only available at the Southern California Food Allergy Institute’s in-house lab, Foundation Labs.

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created before the start of food allergy treatment and is used on an annual basis to assess a patient’s state of food anaphylaxis molecular tolerance.

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a leading example of the research capabilities of the Southern California Food Allergy Institute, and just one of more breakthroughs in development.

Our Recent Peer-Reviewed Publications

Advancing Discovery

Our model of data collection and analysis opens the door for truly patient-driven research derived from real-world, clinical data and outcomes rather than laboratory hypotheses. This collection of shared information offers the greatest hope to truly advance treatment protocols not only for food allergy, but for some of the most complex conditions.

The Southern California Food Allergy Institute is proud to be part of the bigger picture. As the food allergy division of TPIRC (Translational Pulmonary and Immunology Research Center), the Institute is committed to the advancement of discovery and treatment for rare and orphan diseases beyond food allergies.

What We’re Working On

COVID-19 in an Asymptomatic Allergic Cohort

With the emergence and rapid increase of the respiratory disease COVID-19 caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, it is important to understand how the body’s immune system responds to the virus in order to advance research in therapeutics and vaccines for SARS-CoV-2.

Children who have been infected appear to be mainly asymptomatic and, to help us better understand their immune response towards the virus, we have launched a study on the biological specimens of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infected pediatric patients, which will include conducting serological assays to determine their antibody profiles.

A Novel Murine Model Simulating Current Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Human Therapeutics (CPAP)

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is common among preterm neonates. Infants afflicted with BPD often suffer from respiratory and neurocognitive sequelae persisting short term or for years after the initial diagnosis. BPD is characterized by reduced alveolarization and vascularization in the lungs. Changes in the oxygen environment can lead to changes in normal lung development at the genetic, cellular, and structural levels.

We developed CPAP devices for a murine model to assess the impact of the commonly used non-invasive ventilation strategy to see how it impacts structural development in the lung. This will allow us to get a better understanding of the long-term impact of CPAP on BPD patients so that we can provide better care and have data-driven protocols in the near term and have insight into the contribution these interventions have on chronic disease in the patients later in life.

Cystic Fibrosis

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common recessively inherited disorders diagnosed in infancy and early childhood in the United States. Determining the phenotype of CF patients likely to experience a significant drop in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1%) predicted will help target efforts for mitigating this potentially deleterious disorder.

This study evaluated potential risk variables that account for the decline in FEV1% predicted in 81 CF patients treated at the Cystic Fibrosis Center at Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital (MCWHLB) in Long Beach, CA. Our study provides a novel readily available score, which incorporates body mass index (BMI) and Staphylococcus aureus (SA) infection, both of which are alterable targets for slowing the progression of CF.

Food Allergies

In our Research Lab we can complete the full spectrum of food allergy research. Utilizing our vast database at the Southern California Food Allergy Institute, we have completed the largest almond prevalence study-to-date. We can characterize unknown allergens. We use serum samples to identify and characterize allergens using immunologic, biochemical, and structural characterization. We also are actively working to characterize new biomarkers that are indicative of successful completion of the Tolerance Induction Program™ (TIP) in an effort to fully elucidate the mechanisms at play that allow our patients to achieve Food Freedom!

Our Research

Our long-term treatment and research model actively treats children with food allergies. The Southern California Food Allergy Institute facilities house a research team, led by Nathan Marsteller, Ph.D., and a science laboratory where we study blood and immune cells to better understand how we can safely improve the treatment process.

The beauty of our methodology is with each case that we treat, we are collectively unmasking trillions of additional data points relating to the understanding and care of food allergies. The study of these large data sets continues to reveal and reinforce predictive patterns. These patterns lead to advancements in care and breakthrough discoveries at an unparalleled pace. Over time, our already successful, integrated approach can be even further refined for more and more precise food allergy treatment.

Our Current Studies

StudiesCystic Fibrosis: Neutrophil Population Characterization
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia CPAP Model
BPD Macrophage Characterization
SARS-CoV-2 Asymptomatic Pediatric Cohort
Anxiety and Food Allergy
Almond Prevalence
Protein Characeterization
Walnut Prevalence
Cesarian Section and Food Allergies