Latest news with #StephanieEisenbarth
Gizmodo
4 days ago
- Health
- Gizmodo
This Already-Approved Drug Could Stop Food Allergies' Worst Reactions
Food allergies suck. Beyond placing onerous limits on your diet, their health impacts can totally derail your life, and scientists have been scrambling for years to try and find better, more lasting treatments for these conditions' worst effects. Now, a pair of papers published today in the journal Science unlock crucial new insights into what goes on in the body when anaphylaxis occurs and indicate how an existing medication could one day help prevent these life-threatening allergic reactions. In one paper, a team of scientists reveal evidence in lab mice for a previously unknown pathway in the gut that may be responsible for some food allergy symptoms. And in the second paper, another team demonstrates that an asthma drug called zileuton blocks a crucial aspect of this pathway in mice, seemingly preventing the expected allergic reactions from happening in most cases. The researchers are now launching a clinical trial to test whether zileuton can pull off the same trick in people. 'If so, this could provide a treatment to prevent anaphylaxis,' Adam James Williams and Stephanie Eisenbarth, both immunologists at Northwestern University who are co-authors on the second paper, told Gizmodo in an email. Scientists have been working for years to solve a perplexing mystery: Why do some people who have tested positive for food allergies not become sick when exposed to the trigger food, while others with the same allergy develop anaphylaxis? The researchers describe a gene called DPEP1 that seems to play a surprising role in controlling food-related anaphylaxis in mice: The gene appears to regulate the release of leukotrienes in the gut—these molecules help spark an immune response to an allergen. When we eat food, most of it is broken down into nutrients for the body to use. But some small amount of it is transported through the gut into the blood as whole proteins, and it's these whole proteins that can trigger a reaction in someone with a food allergy. 'We unexpectedly found that leukotrienes in mice control the amount of whole proteins that are transported across the gut, even in a healthy non-allergic state,' the study authors explained. And scientists already knew that leukotrienes play a part in causing asthma attacks, and several asthma treatments, including zileuton, work by blocking these molecules' activity. The researchers then gave a dose of zileuton to mice that were allergic to peanuts and then exposed them to their trigger food. They found that the drug blocked the leukotrienes in the mice's gut from working as usual, thereby decreasing the likelihood of an allergic reaction. All told, 95% of the dosed mice failed to show any sign of anaphylaxis, the researchers reported. The studies are in mice, so how the findings translate to people remains to be seen. The authors also caution that zileuton is not a cure for food allergies. That said, if human trials bear out what was seen in the mice, the drug could be used as a prophylactic that some people could take before a high-risk situation where they're likely to be exposed to such foods. Notably, many people already take zileuton daily for long-term maintenance of their asthma symptoms, suggesting its safety, although it is unclear how its long-term use affects the gut. If the ongoing clinical trial in humans is successful in showing the drug blocks the same pathway as in mice, the researchers plan to directly test the drug's ability to prevent anaphylaxis in people with food allergies. Beyond the clinical applications, the research poses other questions, the researchers said. 'There are a lot of other exciting questions, like whether this pathway is regulated by things in our environment, such as changes in the microbiome induced by diet,' Williams and Eisenbarth said.
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
‘Out of the box' pill could eliminate life-threatening allergic reactions for millions of people
Plus, everything you need to know about anaphylaxis below GAME-CHANGER 'Out of the box' pill could eliminate life-threatening allergic reactions for millions of people Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) POTENTIALLY deadly food allergies could be prevented by an asthma drug. The breakthrough could lead to new protection for millions, say scientists. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 Zileuton, which was used in the study, is available on prescription in the UK Credit: Getty Zileuton, an oral pill used to treat asthma, worked "shockingly well" in blocking allergic reactions to food in mice in new research. Researchers found the mice went from being 95 per cent susceptible to anaphylaxis to 95 per cent protected. Now a clinical trial has been launched to test the same approach in humans. Zileuton, recently approved in the United States and available on prescription in the UK, was found to "nearly eliminate" life-threatening allergic reactions to food allergens in mice. The discovery came after scientists identified, in mice, a previously unknown role for a gene called DPEP1, which they found is "essential" in regulating anaphylaxis - a rapid and potentially deadly allergic reaction. By using it to block the pathway involving this gene, the team at at Northwestern University in Illinois nearly eliminated allergic responses in mice that were previously highly susceptible to food-induced anaphylaxis. The mice were given peanut extract orally shortly after receiving Zileuton while the team monitored for symptoms. Study co-senior author Dr. Stephanie Eisenbarth, of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said: "It was actually shocking how well Zileuton worked." The discovery of the new pathway came after a years-long forward genetic screen, a process where researchers breed generations of mice to narrow down the specific genes responsible for biological differences, such as susceptibility to food allergy. Once the team found the DPEP1 gene controlled leukotrienes in the gut - inflammatory molecules already targeted by asthma drugs - they tested Zileuton, which blocks their production. Allergist explains the difference between allergies and anaphylaxis Food allergies are on the rise, affecting around one in 10 people. But scientists say predicting an allergic person's risk of anaphylaxis and preventing severe reactions from accidental exposure remains a challenge. Currently, there are only two approved treatments for certain food allergies - and no cure. One is an oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy, which doesn't work for all patients and can itself trigger anaphylaxis. The other, omalizumab, is an expensive jab that also isn't effective for all allergy patients. But the research team say Zileuton is a simple pill that temporarily shields allergy patients by blocking the body's anaphylactic pathway before it activates. 2 Researchers are now looking to trial the drug in humans Credit: Getty Prof Williams said: "This is a totally different, out-of-the-box approach to treat food allergy, unlike anything we've tried before. "We've seen tragic, even fatal reactions from hidden ingredients like ground peanuts in a sauce. "For parents sending their child to a birthday party, or for anyone flying where they can't control what's being served, this could be a powerful protective drug." The Northwestern team launched a small clinical trial in July to test whether blocking the newly identified pathway with Zileuton in humans is as effective as it was in mice. Their findings, published in the journal Science, also shed light on the long-standing puzzle of why some people test positive for food allergens but experience no symptoms when they eat the food. Dr Eisenbarth said: "Let's say you're told you're allergic to peanuts based on a blood test, but you've eaten peanuts your whole life without any problems. "This pathway we discovered may be one explanation for why some of those people are protected." She says that group has been a "challenge" for doctors and a source of stress for patients because current diagnostic tests only estimate allergy risk, not tolerance. Dr Eisenbarth said: "Our findings open a whole new area for future research into how people develop food allergies in the first place, and why some react while others don't." She added: "If you'd asked me five or six years ago to guess the pathway that would lead to this discovery, I never would have picked this gene or the leukotriene molecules."
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Health
- Newsweek
Drug Could Stop Life-Threatening Food Allergies in Millions
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A drug used for asthma has been found to treat food allergies "shockingly well", in a breakthrough that could offer new protection for millions affected. This is the discovery of Northwestern Medicine scientists, who have revealed the already FDA-approved drug nearly eliminated life-threatening allergic reactions to food allergens in mice. Around 33 million people in the U.S. have at least one food allergy—that is nearly one in 10 adults and one in 13 children. While just over half of all adults and 42 percent of children with food allergies have experienced a severe reaction, predicting an individual's risk of this happening and preventing it remains challenging. Currently, the only two FDA-approved treatments for certain food allergies are an oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy (which doesn't work for everyone and can itself trigger anaphylaxis, according to the researchers) and an expensive injection called omalizumab (which also isn't effective for everyone.) Woman pouring peanuts in measuring bowl. Woman pouring peanuts in measuring bowl. CarolinaWhile anaphylaxis is currently primarily treated with epinephrine (adrenaline), it's hoped the asthma drug called Zileuton could offer a simple pill that temporarily shields allergic individuals by blocking the body's anaphylactic pathway before it activates. "It was actually shocking how well Zileuton worked," said Dr. Stephanie Eisenbarth, study author and Allergy and Immunology chief at Northwestern's Feinberg School of Medicine, in a statement. "After treatment with Zileuton, 95 percent of the mice showed almost no symptoms of anaphylaxis. The treatment reversed their risk from 95 percent susceptible to 95 percent protected," added Adam Williams, study author and allergy and immunology professor at Feinberg, in a statement. The revelation came after the researchers identified, in mice, a previously unknown role for a gene called DPEP1, which they found was essential in regulating anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal and rapid allergic reaction. By using Zileuton to block the pathway involving this gene, the scientists nearly eliminated allergic responses in mice that were previously highly susceptible to food-induced anaphylaxis. The mice were given peanut extract orally—peanuts being the most common cause of anaphylaxis due to food in people—shortly after receiving Zileuton. "For the past decade we have been working to understand why some people with a positive blood test for a food allergy have no symptoms when they eat that allergen, whereas others have severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis)," Eisenbarth and Williams told Newsweek. "The goal is to find ways to make people with symptomatic food allergy tolerate exposure to allergens. We had many theories about what could provide this form of protection but none could explain it. "So, we turned to an unbiased approach to potentially discover unexpected pathways. Through a genetic screen we found DPEP1 and the leukotriene pathway." Man holding a pill in his hand. Man holding a pill in his newly identified pathway followed a 'forward genetic screen' lasting a year, a research method where scientists breed generations of mice to determine the specific genes responsible for biological differences like susceptibility to food allergy. Once they found the DPEP1 gene controlled inflammatory molecules called leukotrienes in the gut (inflammatory molecules already targeted by asthma drugs), they tested Zileuton, which blocks their production. "The idea that absorption of intact allergens is constantly regulated in the gut by this leukotriene pathway is completely unexpected," said Eisenbarth and Williams. They hope their findings pave the way for better preventative methods, rather than treating the symptom. "The idea is to take a single dose right before a potential exposure to prevent anaphylaxis, rather than a drug (e.g., epi-pen) to treat a reaction after it has started. We see this especially valuable in 'high risk' situations in which accidental allergen exposures are more likely, such as getting on a flight, going to a restaurant, or a child attending a birthday party," the study authors explained. "It is important to emphasize that so far, we only have data from mouse models. Our current clinical trial [which started last month] will test whether this could also work in humans. Because we do not know how continuous treatment would affect the gut or the immune system, we are not considering this a daily treatment." The researchers said that they didn't observe any side effects in the mouse study. They added: "Rarely in people, this drug has induced changes in liver function tests when taken continuously, but we only give one single dose, and therefore such reactions would be unlikely." "This is a totally different, out-of-the-box approach to treat food allergy, unlike anything we've tried before," Williams noted. Current diagnostic tests only estimate allergy risk, not tolerance. While the researchers believe some people are naturally protected, this is also an area for further research. "The clinical trial is the first step in testing whether we can block food allergen absorption in people through the same pathways. If the answer is yes, the next step would be to test whether people with food allergy are protected from anaphylaxis," the researchers concluded. "But there are a lot of other exciting questions, like whether this pathway is regulated by things in our environment such as changes in the microbiome induced by diet." Do you have a tip on a health story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about food allergies? Let us know via health@ Reference Hoyt, L. R., Liu, E., Olson, E. C., Jacobsen, D. R., Siniscalco, E. R., Krier-Burris, R. A., Greenfield, K. G., McBride, C. D., Alfajaro, M. M., Amat, J. A. R., Zhao, Z., Xu, L., Philip, V., Verma, A., Fourati, S., Senger, D. L., Zhang, L., Bunyavanich, S., Glass, S. E., Coffey, R. J., Wilen, C. B., Williams, A., & Eisenbarth, S. C. (2025). Cysteinyl leukotrienes stimulate gut absorption of food allergens to promote anaphylaxis in mice. Science, 389(6656).
The Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
‘Out of the box' pill could eliminate life-threatening allergic reactions for millions of people
POTENTIALLY deadly food allergies could be prevented by an asthma drug. The breakthrough could lead to new protection for millions, say scientists. 2 Zileuton, an oral pill used to treat asthma, worked "shockingly well" in blocking allergic reactions to food in mice in new research. Researchers found the mice went from being 95 per cent susceptible to anaphylaxis to 95 per cent protected. Now a clinical trial has been launched to test the same approach in humans. Zileuton, recently approved in the United States and available on prescription in the UK, was found to "nearly eliminate" life-threatening allergic reactions to food allergens in mice. The discovery came after scientists identified, in mice, a previously unknown role for a gene called DPEP1, which they found is "essential" in regulating anaphylaxis - a rapid and potentially deadly allergic reaction. By using it to block the pathway involving this gene, the team at at Northwestern University in Illinois nearly eliminated allergic responses in mice that were previously highly susceptible to food-induced anaphylaxis. The mice were given peanut extract orally shortly after receiving Zileuton while the team monitored for symptoms. Study co-senior author Dr. Stephanie Eisenbarth, of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, said: "It was actually shocking how well Zileuton worked." The discovery of the new pathway came after a years-long forward genetic screen, a process where researchers breed generations of mice to narrow down the specific genes responsible for biological differences, such as susceptibility to food allergy. Once the team found the DPEP1 gene controlled leukotrienes in the gut - inflammatory molecules already targeted by asthma drugs - they tested Zileuton, which blocks their production. Allergist explains the difference between allergies and anaphylaxis Food allergies are on the rise, affecting around one in 10 people. But scientists say predicting an allergic person's risk of anaphylaxis and preventing severe reactions from accidental exposure remains a challenge. Currently, there are only two approved treatments for certain food allergies - and no cure. One is an oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy, which doesn't work for all patients and can itself trigger anaphylaxis. The other, omalizumab, is an expensive jab that also isn't effective for all allergy patients. But the research team say Zileuton is a simple pill that temporarily shields allergy patients by blocking the body's anaphylactic pathway before it activates. 2 Prof Williams said: "This is a totally different, out-of-the-box approach to treat food allergy, unlike anything we've tried before. "We've seen tragic, even fatal reactions from hidden ingredients like ground peanuts in a sauce. "For parents sending their child to a birthday party, or for anyone flying where they can't control what's being served, this could be a powerful protective drug." The Northwestern team launched a small clinical trial in July to test whether blocking the newly identified pathway with Zileuton in humans is as effective as it was in mice. Their findings, published in the journal Science, also shed light on the long-standing puzzle of why some people test positive for food allergens but experience no symptoms when they eat the food. Dr Eisenbarth said: "Let's say you're told you're allergic to peanuts based on a blood test, but you've eaten peanuts your whole life without any problems. "This pathway we discovered may be one explanation for why some of those people are protected." She says that group has been a "challenge" for doctors and a source of stress for patients because current diagnostic tests only estimate allergy risk, not tolerance. Dr Eisenbarth said: "Our findings open a whole new area for future research into how people develop food allergies in the first place, and why some react while others don't." She added: "If you'd asked me five or six years ago to guess the pathway that would lead to this discovery, I never would have picked this gene or the leukotriene molecules." Symptoms of anaphylaxis - and what to do if you have it The symptoms of anaphylaxis can happen very quickly. They usually start within minutes of coming into contact with something you're allergic to, such as a food, medicine or insect bite. You should call 999 if: Your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly become swollen You're breathing very fast or struggling to breathe (you may become very wheezy or feel like you're choking or gasping for air) Your throat feels tight or you're struggling to swallow Your skin, tongue or lips turn blue, grey or pale (if you have black or brown skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of your hands or soles of your feet) You suddenly become very confused, drowsy or dizzy Someone faints and cannot be woken up A child is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do (their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face) What to do if you have anaphylaxis Follow these steps if you think you or someone you're with is having an anaphylactic reaction... Use an adrenaline auto-injector (such as an EpiPen) if you have one – instructions are included on the side of the injector. Call 999 for an ambulance and say that you think you're having an anaphylactic reaction. Lie down – you can raise your legs, and if you're struggling to breathe, raise your shoulders or sit up slowly (if you're pregnant, lie on your left side). If you have been stung by an insect, try to remove the sting if it's still in the skin. If your symptoms have not improved after 5 minutes, use a 2nd adrenaline auto-injector. Do not stand or walk at any time, even if you feel better.
