Special Report: Top Research from the 2015 AAAAI Meeting

2015 AAAAI annual meeting

At the 2015 annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, held in Houston, thousands of allergists from around the globe gathered to present studies and help advance the field of allergy and immunology. Allergic Living was there to cover it. Here is your inside look at big breakthroughs and what’s on the horizon for treatments.

The LEAP Study

This was the big one. The LEAP study had the entire conference buzzing and since the results were revealed as the closing keynote speech for the AAAAI conference, it has become the talk of the allergy community. The LEAP study’s found that having at-risk infants consume peanuts can teach the immune system tolerance and prevent allergy in 70 to 80 percent of cases.

The Peanut Patch Treatment

The “peanut patch,” also known as Viaskin Peanut, applies small amounts of peanut protein to skin daily, which desensitizes peanut allergic patients to the allergen over time – a process known as epicutaneous immunotherapy. The new treatment was presented at the AAAAI conference and recognized as a notable “up-and-coming treatment” of food allergy.

Oral Immunotherapy for Infants

Younger participants may have more success from peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT), according to a new findings presented at the AAAAI annual meeting. This study, conducted at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, was also highlighted as an “up-and-coming treatment” for food allergy.

Data on Stock Epi in Schools

More than 900 episodes of anaphylaxis occurred across 5,700 U.S. schools in the last academic year, according to the nationwide survey released at the AAAAI annual meeting. That’s a rate of more than one severe reaction a year in every 10 schools.