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The Scientist Interviews Thomas Platts-Mills, MD, About Uncovering Alpha-Gal Syndrome, Which Causes a Red Meat Allergy

June 3, 2025 by daf4a@virginia.edu

Thomas Platts-Mills, MD

Thomas Platts-Mills, MD

Thomas Platts-Mills, MD, emeritus professor of medicine in the Department of Medicine’s Asthma, Allergy and Immunology Division, talked with The Scientist about his discovery of alpha-gal syndrome, which causes a red-meat allergy.

In the early 2000s, Dr. Platts-Mills, an allergist and immunologist, began seeing a few patients at his allergy clinic who reported a surprising new symptom: a sudden allergic reaction to red meat. He recalled being skeptical. “It doesn’t make sense,” said Dr. Platts-Mills, adding, “People don’t become allergic to red meat in the middle of their life.”

Around that time, oncologists came to him for help figuring out a strange allergy to a cancer drug. Little did he know, this case would end up giving him important clues about the unusual allergy now called alpha-gal syndrome.

Read the full article at The Scientist.

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Filed Under: Research