Allergies

For many people, the beauty of spring is countered by the sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes of allergies that come with warmer weather. For those people, science has some bad news – climate change may be making pollen season longer and more severe.

The results of a clinical trial find introducing gluten into a baby's diet from the age of four months may reduce their risk of developing celiac disease. The researchers stress larger trials are necessary before any broad dietary recommendations are suggested.

There may be new hope for people prone to allergic reactions of the skin. According to a new study, one serving of black raspberries per day could minimize the effects.

Promising research is reporting progress in the development of an anaphylaxis-preventing pill. The drug, initially designed as an alternative to chemotherapy for some types of cancer, could be taken before meals to prevent serious allergic reactions.

Although no one likes getting blood samples drawn or having their skin pricked, these are the most common methods of testing for allergies. Thanks to a new study, however, such uncomfortable pokes could soon be replaced with painless nasal swabs.

Scientists investigating the biological processes behind allergic itching have uncovered a protein in the skin they say acts as a switch, offering a potential new target in the ongoing search for more effective treatments.

A newly published longitudinal study out of Canada has found a strong association between frequent use of household cleaning products and an increased risk of children developing asthma in the first three years of life.

Asthma and other allergic reactions are increasingly common today, and while manageable there’s currently no cure. Now, researchers at Yale University have found a new potential pathway for treatment, targeting cellular "gatekeepers" called microRNA.

A comprehensive study from the UK has found that introducing children to certain foods at an early age is associated with a lower risk of developing allergies – and the correlation is clear even when subjects didn’t stick strictly to the regime.

Another promising potential treatment for peanut allergies has just emerged via a promising early trial at Stanford University, where scientists found an antibody treatment enabled those with severe allergies to stomach peanuts for some time.

First results have been revealed from phase 2 human trials into a promising new treatment for celiac disease. The nanoparticle technology was found to significantly induce an immune tolerance to gluten in celiac subjects after just two treatments.

The first oral immunotherapy agent to treat peanut allergy is set to be approved, but questions still remain over how effective and long-lasting it is.