The roles of bitter and sweet taste receptors in food allergy: Where are we now?

Food allergy (FA) is a growing global concern, which contributes significantly to anaphylaxis and severe allergic reactions. Despite advancements in treatments like allergen immunotherapy and biologics, current approaches have notable limitations and there is a pressing need for new therapeutic stra...

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Main Authors: Mo Xian, Anish R. Maskey, Daniel Kopulos, Xiu-Min Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Allergology International
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1323893025000103
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author Mo Xian
Anish R. Maskey
Daniel Kopulos
Xiu-Min Li
author_facet Mo Xian
Anish R. Maskey
Daniel Kopulos
Xiu-Min Li
author_sort Mo Xian
collection DOAJ
description Food allergy (FA) is a growing global concern, which contributes significantly to anaphylaxis and severe allergic reactions. Despite advancements in treatments like allergen immunotherapy and biologics, current approaches have notable limitations and there is a pressing need for new therapeutic strategies. Recent research into taste receptors has unveiled their potential role in FA, offering fresh perspectives for understanding and managing this condition. Taste receptors, particularly type 1 taste receptors (TAS1Rs/T1Rs, sweet taste receptors) and type 2 taste receptors (TAS2Rs/T2Rs, bitter taste receptors), are distributed not only in the oral cavity but also in various extra-oral tissues, and their interactions with immune responses are increasingly recognized. This review highlights the connections between taste receptors and FA, exploring how taste receptor mechanisms might contribute to FA pathogenesis and treatment. Taste receptors, especially TAS2Rs, which include multiple subtypes with varying ligand specificities, have been implicated in modulating allergic responses and could serve as targets for novel FA therapies. Additionally, compounds such as bitter agents and sweeteners that interact with taste receptors show promise in influencing FA outcomes. This review emphasizes the need for further research into the mechanisms of taste receptor involvement in FA and suggests that targeting these receptors could provide new avenues for therapeutic intervention in the future.
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spelling doaj-art-dc75ad49c708497bb186611a5b9beb272025-08-20T02:35:19ZengElsevierAllergology International1323-89302025-07-0174338639610.1016/j.alit.2025.01.005The roles of bitter and sweet taste receptors in food allergy: Where are we now?Mo Xian0Anish R. Maskey1Daniel Kopulos2Xiu-Min Li3Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA; State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, National Clinical Research Center for Respiratory Disease, National Center for Respiratory Medicine, Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, ChinaDepartment of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USADepartment of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USADepartment of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA; Department of Dermatology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA; Corresponding author. Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, 1095, USA.Food allergy (FA) is a growing global concern, which contributes significantly to anaphylaxis and severe allergic reactions. Despite advancements in treatments like allergen immunotherapy and biologics, current approaches have notable limitations and there is a pressing need for new therapeutic strategies. Recent research into taste receptors has unveiled their potential role in FA, offering fresh perspectives for understanding and managing this condition. Taste receptors, particularly type 1 taste receptors (TAS1Rs/T1Rs, sweet taste receptors) and type 2 taste receptors (TAS2Rs/T2Rs, bitter taste receptors), are distributed not only in the oral cavity but also in various extra-oral tissues, and their interactions with immune responses are increasingly recognized. This review highlights the connections between taste receptors and FA, exploring how taste receptor mechanisms might contribute to FA pathogenesis and treatment. Taste receptors, especially TAS2Rs, which include multiple subtypes with varying ligand specificities, have been implicated in modulating allergic responses and could serve as targets for novel FA therapies. Additionally, compounds such as bitter agents and sweeteners that interact with taste receptors show promise in influencing FA outcomes. This review emphasizes the need for further research into the mechanisms of taste receptor involvement in FA and suggests that targeting these receptors could provide new avenues for therapeutic intervention in the future.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1323893025000103BitterCompoundFood allergySweetTaste receptor
spellingShingle Mo Xian
Anish R. Maskey
Daniel Kopulos
Xiu-Min Li
The roles of bitter and sweet taste receptors in food allergy: Where are we now?
Allergology International
Bitter
Compound
Food allergy
Sweet
Taste receptor
title The roles of bitter and sweet taste receptors in food allergy: Where are we now?
title_full The roles of bitter and sweet taste receptors in food allergy: Where are we now?
title_fullStr The roles of bitter and sweet taste receptors in food allergy: Where are we now?
title_full_unstemmed The roles of bitter and sweet taste receptors in food allergy: Where are we now?
title_short The roles of bitter and sweet taste receptors in food allergy: Where are we now?
title_sort roles of bitter and sweet taste receptors in food allergy where are we now
topic Bitter
Compound
Food allergy
Sweet
Taste receptor
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1323893025000103
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