Latest news with #GUPI
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Man Who Nearly Died from Peanut Allergy Now Eats Them for Breakfast. Here's How He Did It
Chris Brookes-Smith, 28, thought he was "going to die" from his nut allergy when he went into anaphylactic shock after accidentally eating peanuts 10 years ago He now eats them every day as part of a clinical trial, which helped him overcome his nut allergy In the trial, people with nut allergies were given small supervised doses of the nut, and the "average tolerated dose of peanuts increased 100-fold" A man with a life-threatening allergy to peanuts overcame it through a new clinical trial that exposed people to small, supervised doses of the allergen. Now, he eats peanuts for breakfast. Chris Brookes-Smith, 28, struggled with a lifelong allergy to peanuts, telling the BBC that 10 years ago, "I thought I was going to die" after accidentally eating peanuts. "I knew I was in trouble after one bite," he told the outlet. "Within seconds, there were spots on my lips. Within minutes, I was vomiting. I could feel my throat closing up, hives forming in my armpits, then over my whole body ... My face going all puffy with the swelling." He ended up in the hospital, comparing his appearance to 'a plucked turkey because my skin had blistered so much.' Related: 25-Year-Old Dancer with Severe Peanut Allergy Dies After Eating Incorrectly Labeled Cookies Peanut allergies can often be fatal, causing a severe allergic reaction known as anaphylactic shock. It can cause a variety of symptoms, the most dire being a narrowing of airways that causes difficulty breathing, according to Mayo Clinic. Patients are typically administered epinephrine, an adrenaline treatment. If the condition isn't treated immediately, it can be fatal. However, thanks to a clinical trial led by King's College London and Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Brookes-Smith can safely eat the peanuts — not whole handfuls, but he has four nuts a day at breakfast, as advised by his doctor to keep the allergy managed. The results of the successful trial, called Grown Up Peanut Immunotherapy (GUPI), were published in the journal Allergy. Trial participants were slowly given increasing doses of peanuts, from 0.3 to 300 mg. Related: Graduate Student, 25, Frantically Texts Mom Before Nut Allergy Puts Him in a Coma "The first time I went there and I ingest this stuff, my heart's going a million miles an hour," Brookes-Smith, who hails from the English county of Northamptonshire, told the BBC. At first, he ate yogurt with a small amount of peanut powder mixed in — strictly supervised, of course. "The big jump in fear was going from peanut dust to half a whole nut," he told the outlet. As a result of the trial, 67% of participants — all adults — can now consume the equivalent of five peanuts. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. 'Constant fear of life-threatening reactions place a huge burden on people with peanut allergy. The only way to manage a peanut allergy is strict avoidance and treatment of allergic reactions, including with adrenaline,' Chief Investigator Professor Stephen Till, Professor of Allergy in the School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences, said in a press release. 'The average tolerated dose of peanuts increased 100-fold over the course of the trial," Till explained. "Although peanut immunotherapy is known to be effective in children, this trial provides preliminary evidence that adults can also be desensitized and that this improves quality of life." Read the original article on People
The Guardian
24-04-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Daily peanut exposure can desensitise allergic adults, study suggests
Adults with severe peanut allergies can be desensitised by daily exposure, according to the first clinical trial of its kind. After being given steadily increasing doses of peanut flour over a period of months, two-thirds of the trial participants were able to eat the equivalent of five peanuts without reacting. The findings suggest that the window of opportunity for treating allergies could extend into adulthood, raising the prospect of new treatments for those severely affected. 'Constant fear of life-threatening reactions place a huge burden on people with peanut allergy,' said Stephen Till, the professor who led the research at King's College London. 'The only way to manage a peanut allergy is strict avoidance and treatment of allergic reactions, including with adrenaline. 'Although peanut immunotherapy is known to be effective in children, this trial provides preliminary evidence that adults can also be desensitised and that this improves quality of life.' The Grown Up Peanut Immunotherapy (GUPI) trial recruited 21 adults aged between 18 and 40 with a clinical diagnosis of peanut allergy. The participants were initially given a dose of 0.8mg peanut flour mixed in with food, then 1.5mg 30 minutes later followed by 3mg a further 30 minutes later. Those who were able to safely tolerate these very low doses – equivalent to less than 1% of a peanut – in a clinical setting were continued on a daily dose at home for two weeks. Participants returned every two weeks to increase their dose under supervision until they reached a 1g dose, the equivalent of four peanuts. The participants maintained a daily dose for three months, after which 67% of them were able to consume at least 1.4g of peanut protein – the equivalent of five peanuts – without reacting. The findings are published in the journal Allergy. 'Living with peanut allergy is a huge burden due to the need for constant vigilance and the risk of accidental exposures,' said Hannah Hunter, lead author and a specialist allergy dietitian at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS foundation trust. 'Many participants who completed the trial told us that the treatment had been life-changing and they were no longer living in fear.' Some patients took longer than others to desensitise – time on the trial ranged from eight to 14 months before the pandemic, although Covid-related delays meant the process took 23 months for some participants. After the trial, the participants were able to continue their daily peanut consumption to remain desensitised. They were still considered allergic, however, and were advised not to consume more than their daily dose and to still carry an adrenaline EpiPen. Chris, 28, was diagnosed with a peanut allergy as a baby and said that, before participating in the trial, the possibility of accidental exposure to peanuts was a source of anxiety. 'Now, I have four peanuts every day with my breakfast to maintain my immunity,' he said. 'Before, a tiny mistake could have life-threatening impacts but now I don't have the fear that I might collapse and die from eating a takeaway.' A larger multi-centre trial would be required before the treatment could be introduced more widely, but the findings suggest the approach could be as effective for adults with severe allergies. Prof Adam Fox, chair of the national allergy study group at King's College London, said: 'Conventional wisdom has been that oral immunotherapy for food is really just for children and there is clear evidence that the younger it is started, the safer and better the outcome. However, that doesn't mean that the benefits would not still be worthwhile for adults, and this study shows that for many, oral immunotherapy for peanut, at least, can still make a real difference.'
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Can peanuts treat peanut allergy in adults?
Wait, what? Can peanuts treat peanut allergy ? It might sound counterintuitive, but a groundbreaking new study suggests just that. In the first clinical trial of its kind, scientists tested whether adults allergic to peanuts can be desensitised using peanuts. The Grown Up Peanut Immunotherapy (GUPI) trial, led by researchers at King's College London and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, studied whether peanut allergy could be treated with the allergen, which in this case is peanuts itself. Published in the journal Allergy, the trial has shown great success with two-thirds of the test subjects consuming the equivalent of five peanuts without reacting. This is the first study in adults with severe allergy to test whether daily doses of peanuts taken under strict supervision can be safely tolerated. This method is known as oral immunotherapy, has seen success in trials in infants and children worldwide. The new findings of the first trial in adults. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like After Losing Weight Kevin James Looks Like A Model 33 Bridges Undo 'Constant fear of life-threatening reactions place a huge burden on people with peanut allergy. The only way to manage a peanut allergy is strict avoidance and treatment of allergic reactions, including with adrenaline. Although peanut immunotherapy is known to be effective in children, this trial provides preliminary evidence that adults can also be desensitised and that this improves quality of life. The average tolerated dose of peanuts increased 100-fold over the course of the trial,' Chief Investigator Professor Stephen Till, Professor of Allergy at King's College London, said in a statement. 21 adults aged 18 to 40 with clinically diagnosed peanut allergies were included in the Phase II trial. They confirmed the allergy via skin prick test, blood test, and then an oral food challenge. In a clinical setting, participants received the first dose of 0.8mg peanut flour mixed in with food, then 1.5 mg 30 minutes later, followed by 3mg a further 30 minutes later. Those who were able to tolerate 1.5mg or 3mg of peanut flour were given a daily dose at home for 2 weeks. This is the equivalent of 0.5-1% of a whole peanut. They were monitored in 2-week intervals and were given supervised doses of more peanut protein, increasing from 6mg (around 1/40th of a whole peanut) to 1g (four whole peanuts). Putin's Secret Portrait Gift to Trump Revealed: Painting Shows Key Moment Of Trump's Life The participants who were tolerant to 50-100mg of peanut protein were switched to eating whole peanuts , peanut butter, or peanut products, with the first dose supervised by the clinical team. Participants continued the daily dosing for at least three months before exiting the trial, as well as the option of continuing post-study. The findings revealed that 67% of participants were able to consume at least 1.4g of peanut protein, which is equivalent to five peanuts, without reaction. The participants of the trial were asked to consume peanuts every day at home to remain desensitised. 'We are very pleased with the results. The efficacy rate is broadly in line with peanut oral immunotherapy trials in children. The next stage of the research will be confirming this in larger trials, and also identifying the group of adult patients who would most likely benefit from oral immunotherapy, and see whether it can lead to long-term tolerance in this age group,' Professor Till said. Lead author specialist Allergy Dietitian Hannah Hunter from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust noted, 'Living with peanut allergy is a huge burden due to the need for constant vigilance and the risk of accidental exposures. Everyday situations such as eating in restaurants and social events are anxiety-provoking, and our patients tell us that the condition also affects travel choices and career options. We found that quality of life significantly improved after oral immunotherapy and fear of food also decreased. Many participants who completed the trial told us that the treatment had been life-changing and they were no longer living in fear.' Chris, 28, a participant in the trial, who was diagnosed with a peanut allergy as a baby said, 'I'm so proud to have been part of this trial and so happy to say that I used to be allergic to peanuts but thanks to this trial, this is no longer a concern. Me and my family were always anxious that even a trace of peanut could be life-threatening. The trial was an interesting experience because all of my life, I had associated the taste and smell of peanuts with fear and death. I started with a small amount of peanut flour with yoghurt, and by the end of the trial, I could eat four peanuts in one sitting. Now, I have four peanuts every day with my breakfast to maintain my immunity. Before, a tiny mistake could have life-threatening impacts, but now I don't have the fear that I might collapse and die from eating a takeaway.'
