Human trials for a peanut allergy vaccine are about to get underway.The goal is help many people, especially parents, from having to hunt out hidden peanut products that can trigger deadly reactions. 7 Healthcast Reporter Dr. Deanna Lites has more.
Got a peanut allergic youngster in the house who's craving peanut butter? Today there are options like cashew butter and almond butter. In the future there may be a cure.
Dr. Wesley Burks says, "we are just now at the point where we have a product that we feel will be safe to people to give them."
Dr. Burks is part of a National Food Allergy Research Consortium that has been developing a peanut allergy vaccine. The experimental therapy works much like the desensitization shots people receive to overcome more common allergies.
"They might accidentally eat a cookie with peanuts and then not have a reaction," explains Dr. Burks.
But because even a small amount of peanuts can be deadly to those who are allergic, the scientists had to modify peanut proteins in the vaccine; a major hurdle that took years to perfect.
"We've actually taken those allergenic portions out of it, so that's what we'll use for the vaccine it's like a hypoallergenic peanut product," says Dr. Burks.
Now the therapy is heading into a 5-year human study.
"Ultimately what you would hope to do is to truly make them tolerant," says Dr. Burks.
For now, stick with the alternatives like macadamia nut butter and sunflower seed butter.
Researchers hope to start testing the peanut allergy vaccine in adults and adolescents in the next six months.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Mount Sinai School of Medicine Pediatric Allergy Division (212) 241-5548
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