Work

Nonallergen-specific treatments for food allergy

Year: 2012

Type: review

Abstract: PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review summarizes recent reports on nonallergen-specific therapies for food allergy. These therapies are especially appealing for food allergy because unlike allergen-specific immunotherapy, they would allow the treatment of multiple food allergies in a single patient with one therapy. RECENT FINDINGS: Chinese herbal therapy, anti-IgE, probiotics, engineered lactic acid bacteria, and helminth therapy are all examples of allergen nonspecific therapies that have been investigated in recent years. Although some have only been studied in animal models of food allergy, some are undergoing rigorous, human clinical trials. SUMMARY: Increasing amounts of research are examining the efficacy and safety of nonallergen-specific therapies for food allergy. There is hope that clinicians will have effective treatments either as an alternative or as an adjunct to immunotherapy.

Source: Current Opinion in Allergy and Clinical Immunology

DOI: 10.1097/aci.0b013e3283534cf8

Authors: Jay A. Lieberman, Julie Wang

Institutions: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Hospital

Language: English

Topic: Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Research

Subfield: Immunology and Allergy

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Genentech, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases