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New Immunotherapy Trial Cures Kids of Peanut Allergy For Up To Four Years (theguardian.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the life-changing dept.

Using a new kind of immunotherapy treatment, Australian researchers have managed to cure a majority of the children in their study suffering from a peanut allergy. "The desensitization to peanuts persisted for up to four years after treatment," reports The Guardian. From the report: Tang, an immunologist and allergist, pioneered a new form of treatment that combines a probiotic with peanut oral immunotherapy, known as PPOIT. Instead of avoiding the allergen, the treatment is designed to reprogram the immune system's response to peanuts and eventually develop a tolerance. It's thought that combining the probiotic with the immunotherapy gives the immune system the "nudge" it needs to do this, according to Tang. Forty-eight children were enrolled in the PPOIT trial and were randomly given either a combination of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus with peanut protein in increasing amounts, or a placebo, once daily for 18 months. At the end of the original trial in 2013, 82% of children who received the immunotherapy treatment were deemed tolerant to peanuts compared with just 4% in the placebo group. Four years later, the majority of the children who gained initial tolerance were still eating peanuts as part of their normal diet and 70% passed a further challenge test to confirm long-term tolerance. The results have been published in the Lancet Child & Adolescent Health.

6 of 164 comments (clear)

  1. When I was in school by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Interesting

    nobody had a peanut allergy.

    Now your kid can be suspended for even having a granola bar (ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY).

    1. Re:When I was in school by Kjella · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Peanut allergies are a first world problem. They are rare in developing countries, where kids grow up around chickens, pigs, and goats, so they develop strong immune systems that don't overreact.

      Part of why it seems like such a huge first world problem is the gross over-reaction to "casual" allergy to protect a few hyper-allergics. I'm allergic to peanuts. I don't care if you eat a peanut bar in the adjacent seat or if the kitchen used the same spoon. Hell, I could eat that peanut bar and though it might cause me a bit of discomfort it wouldn't actually be dangerous. But if I tell anyone I have peanut allergy that tends to invoke "faint traces of nuts = lethal danger" levels of paranoia. Don't get me wrong, they exist and it's nice that we accomodate them so they don't die or anything but you sometimes feel those with a common cold and ebola are put in the same box labeled "sick".

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    2. Re:When I was in school by Rockoon · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I no longer tell people that I am allergic to dogs/cats (pet dander) when visiting them because of the insanity that follows. You would think that if I am reaching out to pet your dog that you would get a clue... but nope... instead they scream at their dog, swat it away, and whatnot...

      I blame the liberals. Seriously. They raised entire generations that overreact to everything.

      --
      "His name was James Damore."
  2. Allergies and placebos ? by Diac · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Is it just me or does giving any group of people especially kids who have a much lower level of understanding and a higher level of trust medicine that might be a placebo and then telling them this will let you eat that thing that could kill you seem like a bad idea?

  3. You know what else works? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    You know what else "cures" a peanut "allergy?"

    Peanuts.

    Desensitization works for peanut allergies nearly 100% of the time. In fact, isolation from allergens typically only makes allergies worse. I had a peanut allergy as an infant. I almost died once according to my parents. My mom, being a well-educated and smart woman, ignored the idiot doctor's orders to keep me away from all things peanut (doctors only say this to cover their asses, there is no medical research that supports evasive therapy for allergies) and instead would put a tiny amount of peanut on my lip every day. I would break out in hives at first, but after a couple of months, my reactions went away.

    Now I eat peanut butter all the time and I have my mom to thank. Since learning of this when I was old enough to understand, I've never avoided allergens - and I've never had allergies of any kind, to anything.

    BTW, if anyone tells you their kid will die at the slightest contact with something peanut, they're lying. Nobody is that allergic to peanuts. It's all in their heads.

    1. Re:You know what else works? by GerryHattrick · · Score: 3, Interesting

      At least 10 years ago, journals were reporting that a microdose of peanut protein, increased each day (with careful monitoring) could desentise successfully after months. This study uses probiotics - interesting and wholly credible too, but where is the 'control' that probiotics specifically have contributed, and to what extent?