Allergies

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.

Chromium and nickel nanoparticles from tattoo needles may be responsible for some allergic reactions to tattoos.

A new study suggests food allergies can be triggered in infants by a lack of certain gut bacteria. As well as identifying which bacteria are key to protecting against the onset of food allergies, a subsequent mouse study revealed a specific probiotic cocktail can reverse pre-established allergies.

A meta-analysis of a dozen trials into the efficacy of an oral immunotherapy treatment designed to reduce allergic reactions to peanuts has concluded the treatment may work in clinical environments but it also results in patients suffering from more real-world adverse allergic events.

An intriguing new study has described a clear association in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients between food allergies and disease activity. The correlation adds weight to the growing hypothesis suggesting the inflammatory activity behind MS is modulated, to a degree, by a mechanism in the gut.