WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Adults with serious peanut allergies might become less sensitive by eating tiny amounts of peanut daily, according to a new study.
'Constant fear of life-threatening reactions place a huge burden on people with peanut allergy,' said Stephen Till, the professor who led the research at King's College London. 'The only way to manage a peanut allergy is strict avoidance and treatment of allergic reactions, including with adrenaline.'
'Although peanut immunotherapy is known to be effective in children, this trial provides preliminary evidence that adults can also be desensitized and that this improves quality of life.'
The study, called the Grown Up Peanut Immunotherapy (GUPI) trial, involved 21 adults aged 18 to 40 who had a confirmed peanut allergy. They started with very small amounts of peanut flour mixed into food, beginning with just 0.8 milligrams, then 1.5mg after 30 minutes, and finally 3mg after another 30 minutes.
These tiny amounts are less than 1 percent of a whole peanut. If participants could handle these safely, they continued taking a small dose at home every day for two weeks.
Every two weeks, they returned to increase the dose under medical supervision until they reached 1 gram, which is equivalent to about four peanuts. They then kept taking this amount daily for three months.
At the end of three months, 67 percent of participants could eat at least 1.4 grams (about five peanuts) without a reaction.
The study, published in the journal Allergy, found that some people became desensitized faster than others. Before the pandemic, the process used to take 8 to 14 months, but due to Covid-related delays, it took up to 23 months for some.
After the trial, participants could keep eating a daily amount of peanuts to stay desensitized. However, they were still considered allergic, so they were told not to eat more than their daily dose and to always carry an EpiPen just in case.
However, a larger trial is needed before this treatment could be offered more widely, but these early results are promising for adults with severe peanut allergies.
Copyright(c) 2025 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2025 AFX News
