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Therapy for peanut allergy on the horizon?
January 08, 2013
Peanut allergies could become a thing of the past with the development of a new therapy
The most common food allergy in adults and children is a reaction to peanut and tree nuts, according to Allergy UK.
As such, it would be great for Britons suffering from the condition to find a solution so they did not have to worry about accidentally coming into contact with nuts.
Research published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has hinted at a possible peanut therapy for increasing sufferer's resistance to the allergy.
In a study of 40 participants aged 12 to 37, it was revealed 70 percent of candidates undergoing sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) were able to consume at least ten times more peanut powder after 44 weeks of treatment.
Under medical supervision, SLIT is a treatment approach in which the patient places a small amount of the allergen under their tongue to decrease their sensitivity to it.
As the findings revealed, just 15 percent of candidates given a placebo, or dummy treatment, experienced an increase in their tolerance to peanuts over the same period.
Although more work is needed and SLIT should only be administered under medical guidance, the treatment exhibited just minor side effects such as itching in the mouth, suggesting a solution to the allergy is on the horizon.
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