I just recently did some literature research on this, it's definitely very interesting. -The antigen causing the allergy is called alpha-gal (a glycan, i.e. a

I just recently did some literature research on this, it's definitely very interesting. -The antigen causing the allergy is called alpha-gal (a glycan, i.e. a sugar based molecule, present on proteins) -Humans are one of the few mammals that do not produce Alpha-Gal natively -IgG and IgM antibodies against Alpha-Gal are very common in healthy individuals even in high titers, however IgE (the type of antibody causing allergies) is rare -For some unknown reason, tick bites induce IgE antibodies against Alpha-Gal (possible reasons are the frequency (you get stung several times over several years, like repeated booster shots) and the saliva of the tick causing Th-2 response (converting IgG to IgE excreting B-cells) -There's a famous case of a therapeutic antibody against cancer (Cetuximab) that is produced in mouse cells (remember: mice produce alpha-gal) that causes anaphylactic shocks (meaning a strong allergic reaction)