New toothpaste could help people with a common life-threatening food allergy, study suggests

A new toothpaste designed to desensitize people allergic to peanuts appears to be safe to use, giving hope to millions of people suffering from this potentially deadly allergy.

California scientists tested the toothpaste, which contains small amounts of peanut proteins that would cause an allergic reaction in people with a nut allergy, on 32 adults with a known peanut allergy.

The participants brushed their teeth once a day for about 11 months and the researchers found that none suffered a serious allergic reaction, indicating that the substance was safe to use in people with a nut allergy.

The toothpaste is dispensed in measured doses and cleans your teeth just like a regular toothpaste would.

Twenty-four people received the active substance and eight received a placebo. People who received the toothpaste did so in increasing doses, meaning the amount of peanut protein in the toothpaste increased with each dose.

By exposing participants to small amounts of peanuts, researchers hope that over time they will gradually become desensitized and have a lower risk of allergic reactions when exposed to peanuts.

This type of allergy treatment, called Oral immunotherapy has been around for years. It involves desensitizing patients to foods they are allergic to by giving them small amounts of the food allergen to build their body’s resistance.

The new toothpaste specifically uses oral mucosal immunotherapy, which acts on the lining of the mouth, where there are many immune response cells to desensitize patients.

said Dr. William Berger, a pediatric allergist at Mission Hospital in California, who is researching the new product. US News: ‘Immunotherapy is conveniently administered by simply brushing your teeth once a day so you don’t have to get an injection.

‘You don’t have to eat anything. You don’t have to prepare anything. You just get up in the morning like you normally would and brush your teeth.’

During the 48 weeks of the phase one trial, 24 of the participants used the toothpaste in increasing doses, while the remaining eight used a placebo.

Everyone who received the toothpaste tolerated the higher dose of peanut protein, the researchers said. No moderate or severe allergic reactions were recorded.

While 54 percent of people who consumed the substance experienced mild itching in the mouth and around the lips, no one dropped out of the study due to side effects.

The findings were presented at a meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in California.

About 1 in 50 children and about 4.6 million adults in the U.S. have a peanut allergy.

Peanuts are one of the food allergens most commonly linked to anaphylaxis, a severe, exaggerated allergic reaction of the immune system in which a rash appears on the skin and the throat begins to close, making it difficult to breathe, which can lead to death. if not treated. immediately.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction can vary, but may include a rash, itching, or vomiting.

There is no treatment for peanut allergy, and sufferers are advised to avoid the food and carry EpiPens, a device that delivers the medication epinephrine, or other life-saving auto-injectors in case they experience a reaction.