It’s estimated that 4-6 percent of children in the United States have food allergies with the most common allergy being peanuts. A vaccine that has been 20 years in the making has been successful in mice and could help those who suffer from allergies.
Jessica O'Konek, lead researcher for University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, says that food allergies are caused by a faulty immune reaction, wherein the body overproduces antibodies called Immunoglobulin E.
This happens because of a response from T helper 2 immune cells, the scientists hypothesized that rerouting these Th2 cells might help to regulate the allergic immune response."
By redirecting the immune responses," explains O'Konek, "our vaccine not only suppresses the response but prevents the activation of cells that would initiate allergic reactions."
O’Konek and her team have yet to determine if the vaccine will have long-lasting effects, but if so then it could change life for many people.