Gut Bacteria Based Therapy May Help Reverse Food Allergies

Scientists have identified a species of bacteria in the human infant gut that protects against food allergies and may be used in therapies to reverse the condition

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 25th Jun, 2019 ) :Scientists have identified a species of bacteria in the human infant gut that protects against food allergies and may be used in therapies to reverse the condition.

Currently, the only way to prevent a reaction is for people with food allergies to completely avoid the food to which they are allergic.

A team from Brigham and Women's Hospital and Boston Children's Hospital in the US identified the species of bacteria in the human infant gut that protect against food allergies.

In preclinical studies in a mouse model of food allergy, the team found that giving an enriched oral formulation of five or six species of bacteria found in the human gut protected against food allergies and reversed established disease by reinforcing tolerance of food allergens.

"This represents a sea change in our approach to therapeutics for food allergies," said Lynn Bry, one of the authors of the research published in the journal Nature Medicine.

"We've identified the microbes that are associated with protection and ones that are associated with food allergies in patients," said Bry.

The research team conducted studies in both humans and preclinical models to understand the key bacterial species involved in food allergies.

The team repeatedly collected faecal samples every four to six months from 56 infants who developed food allergies, finding many differences when comparing their microbiota to 98 infants who did not develop food allergies.