An overview of the fundamental immune mechanisms of food allergy

Adverse reactions to foods have been reported for over 2000 years. Our knowledge of the immune mechanisms that govern this disease are much younger, starting primarily with the discovery of IgE a little over 60 years ago. In this overview article of the sections to come, we highlight the history of immunology research that has led us to our current understanding of the disease. We broadly discuss the mechanisms that govern oral tolerance to food antigens, the adaptive and innate immune mechanisms of allergic sensitization, the mechanisms of anaphylactic reactions to foods, and the mechanisms that maintain persistent allergic reactions. This article serves as a primer for the future articles in the section, which expand upon these ideas significantly in scope and depth.