Researchers at the Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics and the Allergy Department of the Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús of Madrid say a new oral immunotherapy treatment can increase the amount of wheat allergic children can eat.
The study showed children with wheat allergies were on average able to eat 100 grams of wheat without side effects. The research is expected to become the basis for a larger clinical trial for the oral therapy.
Study Hopes To Grow In Size
The research collaboration aimed to show efficacy for the treatment as a means towards increasing tolerance for wheat in allergic children. The study involved only six children with known wheat allergies (non-celiac) but was used as a preliminary build towards a full clinical trial to prove its success. The immunotherapy involved increasing dosages of wheat proteins. Five of the six children in the study successfully completed the treatment in just 24 days and the sixth was successful after six months. The study used wheat bread with proteins known to trigger allergic reactions.
The study’s results were published by the University of Madrid.