Peanut allergy cure hope
Australian researchers believe they may have found a cure for potentially fatal peanut allergies in children.
Scientists from the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Melbourne said yesterday a particular strain of probiotics combined with small amounts of peanut protein appeared to help children tolerate peanuts.
They gave 60 peanut allergic children aged one to 10 either oral immunotherapy in increasing amounts or a placebo for 18 months.
Lead researcher Professor Mimi Tang said 82 per cent of children who received the probiotic combination could tolerate peanuts without any allergic symptoms after the trial - an effect maintained in tests several weeks after treatment stopped.
This was 20 times the usual rate for peanut allergies to resolve themselves naturally and compared with only 3 per cent of the placebo-treated children becoming peanut tolerant over the same period.
Professor Tang said the study results were "extremely exciting" and could provide an effective treatment for food allergy.
Peanut allergies have increased more than 350 per cent in countries such as Australia in the past 20 years.
"It is important to point out that this treatment must only be given under close medical supervision because we are giving peanut to children who are allergic to peanut, and children did have allergic reactions," she said.
"Nevertheless, the likelihood of success is high. If nine children were given probiotic and peanut therapy, seven would benefit.
"It appears that we have been able to modify the allergic response to peanut such that the immune system produces protective responses rather than a harmful response to the peanut protein."
Perth immunologist and past president of the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy Richard Loh said further research was needed to establish if the peanut tolerance was permanent.
"The study is very promising but further work needs to be done to confirm long-term tolerance," Dr Loh said. "In other words, if they can stop eating peanuts for many months and then resume eating peanuts with no risk of a reaction."
