title: Active treatment for food allergy.
abstract: Food allergy has grown in rapidly in prevalence, currently affecting 5% of adults and 8% of children. Management strategy is currently limited to 1) food avoidance and 2) carrying and using rescue intramuscular epinephrine/adrenaline and oral antihistamines in the case of accidental ingestion; there is no FDA approved treatment. Recently, oral, sublingual and epicutaneous immunotherapy have been developed as active treatment of food allergy, though none have completed phase 3 study. Efficacy and safety studies of immunotherapy have been variable, though there is clearly signal that immunotherapy will be a viable option to desensitize patients. The use of bacterial adjuvants, anti-IgE monoclonal antibodies, and Chinese herbal formulations either alone or in addition to immunotherapy may hold promise as future options for active treatment. Active prevention of food allergy through early introduction of potentially offending foods in high-risk infants will be an important means to slow the rising incidence of sensitization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Allergy and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA. Electronic address: aaron.kobernick@unchealth.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Aaron K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Kobernick
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
authors.forename: A Wesley
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Burks
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000485:Allergens / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003888:Desensitization, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods; D005502:Food / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000145:classification; D005512:Food Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000485:Allergens; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; C026408:anti-IgE antibodies; D007073:Immunoglobulin E
keywords: Allergy; Epicutaneous; Food; Immunotherapy; Sublingual