Yahoo Lifestyle Bone marrow transplant possible cure for boy's peanut allergy
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The case involved a boy who was diagnosed at just 15-months old with a peanut allergy. He was undergoing a bone marrow transplant to treat his acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
The findings of the case, as reported by LiveScience were presented last Friday at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Baltimore in the US.
Study author, Dr Yong Luo said that, while it is not uncommon for transplant recipients to develop food allergies after a transplant procedure, it is very rare for the opposite to happen and a transplant recipient is cured of their allergy.
LiveScience reported two other cases, one involving a 12-year-old boy who was also cured of a peanut allergy following a bone marrow transplant in 2005, and a five-year-old boy who had his latex allergy cured in 1999.
Given the risks involved with bone marrow transplants, including infection, anemia, bleeding and diarrhoea, doctors do not recommend it as a treatment for allergies. However, the findings of this case could provide important clues in discovering how allergies develop in children and pave the way for possible treatment options.
Co-author of the study, Dr Steven Weiss says the case indicates that "genetic modification during the early stages of immune cell development in bone marrow may play a large role in causing allergy."
If you want more information about food allergies, a great resource is the Food Standards Australia website.
Video: Blue Wiggle Anthony Field warns about the dangers of anaphylaxis and describes his family's own private battle with his son's severe food allergy.
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