Hope for peanut allergy patients as scientists create vaccine

Scientists have created a vaccine that has the potential to dampen the immune systems response to peanuts which means peanut allergy patients around the world would soon be able to start snacking on the nut without fearing for their lives. Trials on mice have proven that it works - as researchers found the rodents given it were protected from an allergic reaction.

The study saw mice given three monthly doses of a nasal spray - the same way as children in the UK receive a flu vaccine each winter. The experiment, conducted by researchers at University of Michigan, could lead to investigations conducted on humans with peanut allergies. Patients who get severe reactions to the nut are advised to carry an EpiPen device that gives them a dose of adrenaline to stop the reaction.

Recommended treatment currently revolves around avoiding peanuts, as scientists battle to find an effective way to tackle allergies. However, the new study, led by Dr Jessica O'Konek, may one day lead to them no longer needing to live in fear of being around peanuts. According to Dr O’Konek, by re-directing the immune responses, the vaccine not only suppresses the response but prevents activation of cells that would initiate allergic reactions.