Trials conducted to prevent allergies to food

Researchers at National Jewish Medical and Research Centre are conducting trials to evaluate a method to prevent allergic reactions to food.

The Centre is 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.

David Fleischer, pediatric allergist and investigator for the National Jewish studies, commented: "We hope these trials will lead to the development of the first active, preventive treatment for food allergies."

There is no treatment available to prevent an allergic reaction to food other than strict avoidance of that food. It can be difficult to determine if a food contains peanuts or eggs, especially when eating at a restaurant or food prepared by another person.

Study participants (aged 12-40 years for peanut allergy and 6-18 years for food allergy) will start by consuming tiny amounts of either egg or peanut protein. Physicians and staff at National Jewish will observe them closely to see if they have symptoms of an allergic reaction.

Over the course of several months, participants will consume the protein daily at home, coming into the Centre every couple of weeks to slowly increase the amount of protein they consume until they reach a 'maintenance dose.'

After reaching this dose, people will be tested with a larger amount of either egg or peanut to see if the immunotherapy has reduced the immune system's response. Participants will then continue to take the dose for one to three years to see if they can achieve long-term results.

After six to eight weeks, people will again consume a larger amount of peanut or egg to see if they have become tolerant of the food.

National Jewish is participating in this research as part of the Consortium of Food Allergy Research. Other company's taking part include Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, and the University of Arkansas Children's Hospital Research Institute in Little Rock.

Weblink: www.njc.org