Have scientists found a way to cure peanut allergies in children?
BRITISH scientists have made a major breakthrough in the battle to cure children who suffer from peanut allergies. A form of immunotherapy treatment has overcome the allergy in more than four out of five children in a trial, many of whom were at risk of life-threatening reactions.
The treatment works by gradually exposing the children to tiny amounts of the nut in the form of a powder mixed with another food.
The amount – equivalent to one 70th of a peanut – is steadily increased over three to four months.
Initially, the treatment is administered in a clinic in case of a reaction, but later parents are able to supervise it at home.
Finally the children, aged between seven and 16, were able to eat five peanuts in one sitting, according to researchers at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge. Some could even tolerate ten peanuts – the equivalent of eating a peanut butter sandwich.
Lead researcher Dr Andrew Clark said: ‘Before treatment children and their parents would check every food label and avoid eating out in restaurants.
‘Now most of the patients in the trial can safely eat at least five whole peanuts. The families involved in this study say it has changed their lives dramatically.’
Peanut allergy, which is now thought to affect at least one in 50 children, can cause serious breathing problems.
The most severely affected could experience a life-threatening anaphylactic shock or even die when exposed to just a trace of the nuts in their food.
Sufferers have to carry an EpiPen, an autoinjector to administer adrenaline in an emergency.
But the fear of accidental exposure can reduce their quality of life and severely limit the social activities of allergic individuals, their families and even their friends. The study, published in the Lancet journal, is not the first time immunotherapy has been tried with sufferers of peanut allergies – but the new regime involves more gradual increases until eventually a much higher dose of the nut can be tolerated.
Dr Clark explained that patients would probably need to continue having regular expo- sure to peanuts to maintain the effect, although they would not have to eat them every day.
The team are now applying for a licence so the powder could be used as a medicine, he said, adding: ‘We hope this will become widely available on the NHS.’
But more research is needed before the treatment could be tried on adults – and he warned that the therapy should only be carried out under the supervision of medical professionals.
Maureen Jenkins, director of clinical services at Allergy UK, said: ‘The fantastic results of this study exceed expectation.
‘Peanut allergy is a particularly frightening food allergy, causing constant anxiety of a reaction from peanut traces. This is a major step forward in the global quest to manage it.’