Daily exposure to peanuts could help allergic adults, pioneering trial shows

Adults with severe peanut allergies can be desensitised by daily exposure, according to the first clinical trial of its kind.

- Hannah Devlin

After being given steadily increasing doses of peanut flour over a period of months, two-thirds of the trial participants were able to eat the equivalent of five peanuts without reacting.

The findings suggest the window of opportunity for treating allergies could extend into adulthood, raising the prospect of new treatments for those severely affected.

"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 desensitised and that this improves quality of life."