Immuno-therapy for food allergies?
From Science Daily:
Can Food Allergies Be Overcome With Scheduled Small Doses Of Allergens?
ScienceDaily (Apr. 21, 2008) — Researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center are conducting trials to evaluate a method to prevent allergic reactions to food. They are feeding peanut- and egg-allergic people increasing doses of an investigational protein extract from the foods to see if they can induce the participants’ immune systems to tolerate the food.
“We hope these trials will lead to the development of the first active, preventive treatment for food allergies,” said pediatric allergist David Fleischer, MD, principal investigator for the National Jewish studies. “If successful, it would offer great hope for allergic patients and their families, whose lives are haunted by a daily fear of food.”
Currently the only advice doctors can give to the estimated 12 million Americans who have food allergies is to avoid the food and carry a self-injectable dose of epinephrine in case they accidentally consume the allergenic food. There is no treatment available to prevent an allergic reaction to food other than strict avoidance of that food. It can often be difficult to determine if a food contains peanuts or eggs, especially when eating at a restaurant or food prepared by another person. It can even be difficult recognizing egg and peanut proteins listed on food ingredient labels, especially from products that are not manufactured in the U.S. As a result, thousands of people rush to emergency rooms every year suffering severe allergic reactions to food. As many as 200 people die from allergic reactions to food each year.
Allergists treating hay fever and other allergies have long used immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots, to reduce their patients’ sensitivity to pollen, cat and dog dander, and dust mites. However, it is not considered safe to give allergy shots to food-allergic patients because the shots can cause severe allergic reactions. Previous research has suggested that placing the allergenic food protein under the tongue or directly swallowing it, are safer methods of administering food immunotherapy. So that is how National Jewish researchers will try to desensitize allergic patients in the trials.
Click Here to read the entire article.
This is VERY interesting! This is a study that looks promising and National Jewish is an organization that I would trust.
Of course it goes without saying that this is only a study and shouldn't be tried by anyone other than a medical professional.
To find out what happens to the immune system during an allergic reaction see Wego Health's Allergy-Immunology page.
Can Food Allergies Be Overcome With Scheduled Small Doses Of Allergens?
ScienceDaily (Apr. 21, 2008) — Researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Center are conducting trials to evaluate a method to prevent allergic reactions to food. They are feeding peanut- and egg-allergic people increasing doses of an investigational protein extract from the foods to see if they can induce the participants’ immune systems to tolerate the food.
“We hope these trials will lead to the development of the first active, preventive treatment for food allergies,” said pediatric allergist David Fleischer, MD, principal investigator for the National Jewish studies. “If successful, it would offer great hope for allergic patients and their families, whose lives are haunted by a daily fear of food.”
Currently the only advice doctors can give to the estimated 12 million Americans who have food allergies is to avoid the food and carry a self-injectable dose of epinephrine in case they accidentally consume the allergenic food. There is no treatment available to prevent an allergic reaction to food other than strict avoidance of that food. It can often be difficult to determine if a food contains peanuts or eggs, especially when eating at a restaurant or food prepared by another person. It can even be difficult recognizing egg and peanut proteins listed on food ingredient labels, especially from products that are not manufactured in the U.S. As a result, thousands of people rush to emergency rooms every year suffering severe allergic reactions to food. As many as 200 people die from allergic reactions to food each year.
Allergists treating hay fever and other allergies have long used immunotherapy, also known as allergy shots, to reduce their patients’ sensitivity to pollen, cat and dog dander, and dust mites. However, it is not considered safe to give allergy shots to food-allergic patients because the shots can cause severe allergic reactions. Previous research has suggested that placing the allergenic food protein under the tongue or directly swallowing it, are safer methods of administering food immunotherapy. So that is how National Jewish researchers will try to desensitize allergic patients in the trials.
Click Here to read the entire article.
This is VERY interesting! This is a study that looks promising and National Jewish is an organization that I would trust.
Of course it goes without saying that this is only a study and shouldn't be tried by anyone other than a medical professional.
To find out what happens to the immune system during an allergic reaction see Wego Health's Allergy-Immunology page.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ellen Schnakenberg on -
We did sublingual antigen therapy for food allergies very successfully. It's a hard thing to find in the US, but there are a few docs using it tho it isn't FDA approved... or at least wasn't when we did them. Our docs were in LaCrosse, Wisconsin- about an 8 hr drive from home, but worth it. We nearly lost my son several times before finding them. He wasn't responding to injections for his other allergies and everything was out of control, even with conventional therapies.
The sublinguals were easy to take, not unpleasant. They required multiple doses each day, so there was a remembering-factor involved, but for anyone already dealing with multiple allergies, you already 'remember' them constantly, so it's not as hard as first it might seem. The tiny bottles must not get hot, but that was about it.
Hope this has been helpful.
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Permalink Reply by Janeen on -
Very much so! Thanks for the added information. I've been toying with the idea for my son, but it makes me nervous. Our doc to said to do what I feel comfortable with but not to challenge anything without seeing him first. We shall see....
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Permalink Reply by Ellen Schnakenberg on
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We were told that, because sublingual therapy is done daily instead of weekly or monthly, it is much gentler on the system. The chance of a reaction is greatly reduced. Testing at the docs we attended was frequent and extremely thorough. They take things in baby bites, especially with children. They were ultra careful with my son. I honestly think they saved his life... things were that bad.
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