A study just released from Cambridge University Hospitals reveals that doctors may be able to cure peanut allergies, simply by giving a very small daily dose of peanut protein.
The initial large clinical trial was on two groups of children aged between 7 and 16. Please Note: parents have been warned not to try this idea at home as it could have serious consequences – as it needs to be just the right dosage.
Study leader Dr Andrew Clark said: “For the families involved, this has changed their lives dramatically, and relieves the tension of being at the mercy of a life threatening allergic reaction.”
The idea behind it is to train the immune system to tolerate peanut protein. Starting from a very low base the dose was increased every fortnight, while the children were under observation and then if there was no reaction they were allowed to take the higher dose at home.
One sufferer said: “A year later I could eat five whole peanuts with no reaction at all.”
Fellow researcher Dr Pamela Ewan added: “This large study is the first of its kind in the world to have had such a positive outcome, and is an important advance in peanut allergy research.”
Prof Gideon Lack, who is running a peanut allergy trial at the Evelina Children’s Hospital in London, told the BBC: “This is a really important research step in trying to improve our management of peanut allergy, but is not yet ready for use in clinical practice”.
So those who are missing out on nuts may have to remain with a non-nutty diet for some time to come, but the cheering thought is that it may not be too long before they are allowed to ‘go nuts’.
Source: BBC/The Lancet
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