According to the World Health Organization, allergic diseases are among the six most common pathologies in the world . These occur when the body responds differently to the proteins in a food, either through contact, inhalation or ingestion.
Current immunotherapy has succeeded in reducing levels of sensitization to food allergens in some subjects, but this does not mean that food is tolerated. In fact, until now, the only and most effective ‘treatment’ was, directly, to avoid coming into contact with these products. However, a group of researchers has developed a solution that could inhibit these effects.
In previous studies, intranasal vaccination with a nanoemulsion (NE) had been shown to increase mucosal protection. According to the scientists, the new mucosal antibodies formed by NE could be applied to decrease allergic reactions caused by certain foods.
To verify their suspicions, they conducted tests on mice sensitive (by an administration of aluminum hydroxide) to peanut proteins. Each month they were given three intranasal immunizations with the allergenic food. Finally, the reaction elicited in the animals was examined.
Significant reductions in allergic hypersensitivity were observed in the mice. The adjuvant NE of the mucosa, together with the immunity of the system, is able to suppress the allergy through different mechanisms and protect against anaphylaxis (severe allergic reactions). The researchers, in light of this, suggest the potential therapeutic utility of this approach in the context of food allergy.
A public health problem
The Spanish Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC) warns that food allergies are a public health problem that can even compromise the lives of people who suffer from them .
According to the latest records, there are more than a hundred foods prone to developing allergic diseases. In our country it affects more than two million people, and more than 17 million throughout Europe. In Spain, in fact, 60% of food allergies come from allergens in eggs, cow’s milk and fish. However, the peanut (food with which the previous study has been carried out) is classified as one of the most dangerous .
At the end of 2017, the SEAIC published the first World Guide on Food Immunotherapy . It is a document, prepared by 30 specialists from 18 different centers throughout Spain and based on the latest published studies, which establishes standards of conduct in the treatment of immunotherapy with food.
According to experts, one in three children suffers from some type of allergy and this specific pathology is expected to affect more than 50% of Europeans in the next 10 years . For the moment, research such as that of nanoemulsion will be the key to opening new lines of study and curbing its impact.
Reference: J. O’Konek Jessica, Jessica J. O’Konek, Jeffrey J. Landers, Katarzyna W. Janczak, Rishi R. Goel, Anna M. Mondrusov, Pamela T. Wong, James R. Baker Jr. nanoemulsion adjuvant –Driven redirection of TH2 immunity inhibits allergic reactions in murine models of peanut allergy ‘ (2018) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2018.01.042
