Promising treatments in development for food allergies.

Abstract

Up to 6% of young children and 2% of adults suffer from food allergy. Among them many have IgE-mediated food allergy, a condition with potentially fatal allergic reactions. The only proven treatment is avoidance of the offending food, which can be identified using standardised allergic tests. However, several studies have addressed possible definite treatment options for food allergy. Immunotherapy, administered orally or by systemic injections, shows promising preliminary results, but these therapeutics are based on studies with insufficient scientific support, or are associated with a high risk of severe side effects. At present, no studies can support pharmacotherapy. However, promising results were recently published with anti-IgE antibodies in a human trial, and various approaches in a mouse model of food allergy (chinese herbal medicine, specific modulation of the T-cell response). Rapidly evolving findings might provide hope for a cure for food allergy in the near future.

• Authors: Fabienne Rancé
• Journal: Expert opinion on emerging drugs (Expert Opin Emerg Drugs) Vol. 9 Issue 2 Pg. 257-68 (Nov 2004) ISSN: 1744-7623 [Electronic] England
• PMID: 15571483 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Retracted Publication, Review)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic
• Chemokines
• Immunologic Factors
• Receptors, Chemokine
• Immunoglobulin E

Topics

• Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic (therapeutic use)
• Chemokines (therapeutic use)
• Child
• Desensitization, Immunologic
• Food Hypersensitivity (immunology, therapy)
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin E (immunology)
• Immunologic Factors (therapeutic use)
• Immunotherapy
• Receptors, Chemokine (antagonists & inhibitors)
• T-Lymphocytes (drug effects)