Taking on Food Allergies: A Cure Within Our Grasp?

Allergic disease is highly prevalent in the developed world, affecting up to a quarter of the population, with the greatest burden occuring in childhood. Food allergy is responsible for a large component of this burden, causing severe and fatal reactions at any age. As a consequence, many affected families live in constant fear of allergic reactions, causing reduced quality of life. Until now, no disease-modifying treatment has been available. The best current treatment is to teach families how to avoid offending foods, but despite this, accidental reactions are common. The approach to how we treat patients with food allergy is undergoing a revolution. Studies of various disease-modifying techniques are being carried out.  Our own studies in Cambridge have demonstrated success of a technique which allows children with even the most severe form of peanut allergy-anaphylaxis- to tolerate peanut ingestion. Further development of this technique (desensitization), and others, could lead to disease-modifying treatments for current and emerging food allergies, effectively curing people of their allergy.