Peanut allergy trial treatment a success

A potential treatment for peanut allergies is designed to train the immune system to tolerate peanut protein.

12:42 30 January 2014

Peanuts are the most common cause of fatal allergic reactions to food affecting a huge number of both children and adults all over the world. Currently, there is no available treatment leaving patients with no options but to avoid them completely. 

 

However, a potential peanut allergy treatment has been tested on 85 children and it was a success. The children who participated on the study were asked to take peanut protein every day – initially in small doses but this increased during the study. 

 

The findings suggest that 84% of the children who were allergic to peanut could eat the equivalent of five peanuts a day after six months. 

 

The treatment was designed to train the children’s immune system to tolerate peanut protein. Initially, they were given small dosage of peanut protein powder, which is well below the threshold for an allergic response. The majority of the patients learned to tolerate the peanut. 

 

One of the researchers, Dr Andrew Clark, said: "It really transformed their lives dramatically; this really comes across during the trial.

 

"It's a potential treatment and the next step is to make it available to patients, but there will be significant costs in providing the treatment - in the specialist centres and staff and producing the peanut to a sufficiently high standard."