A current research project at Cambridge University could produce a treatment for peanut allergies. A project sponsored by the United Kingdom's Department of Health is testing the results of children with peanut allergies consuming tiny amounts of peanut flour. Researchers administered 23 children with small doses of peanut flour in a controlled setting, increasing the amount of flour each time. By the end of this "desensitization treatment," 21 out of 23 tested were able to consume five peanuts without severe signs of an allergic reaction, suggesting that their tolerance potentially was increasing with time. The Cambridge group's upcoming study plans to test this treatment on a group of 104 children with peanut allergies in a similarly controlled setting. They also will be given small amounts of peanut flour mixed into yogurt and will receive increased doses with each additional trial. This test is expected to help the children build a tolerance to peanuts, allowing them to consume at least five peanuts a day with no reaction. Doctors have yet to determine if the desensitization is permanent. They are aware of deadly risks this approach poses, but this research is exciting to many who hope to be relieved of constant peanut allergy stress, allowing sufferers to freely enjoy many more foods.
-compiled by Jade Hall
Read More
U.Va. students and physicians team up for another year of free kidney screenings
By Merrill Hart | November 5, 2024Saturday’s screening marked the first by KDSAP at Portico Church, near IX Art Park.
U.Va. Health sees a spike in COVID-19 cases
By Emily Horn | September 4, 2023U.Va. Health ended their vaccination requirements in August, and masks were made optional in most hospital areas in early April.
U.Va. Cancer Center harnesses $12 million grant to support opportunities for undergraduates, ongoing research and new center
By Ellen Wu | January 12, 2023The grant provides an opportunity to establish the Center for Systems Analysis of Stress-Adapted Cancer Organelles, which seeks to find the cause of cancer in individual organelles.
