Scientists have developed a new toothpaste that shows potential to prevent severe allergic reactions in adults with peanut allergies.
An early-stage clinical trial tested whether 32 adults with peanut allergies could safely brush their teeth with the toothpaste, which contains trace amounts of peanut protein. The hope is that introducing small amounts of peanuts to the body over time will help the immune system get used to the allergen and reduce severe reactions.
Dr. William Berger, the study’s lead author and a board-certified allergist, said the toothpaste should be easier to administer than injection treatments, which are used for allergies to grass, trees and weeds.
With the toothpaste, he said, “patients do not have to do anything other than brush their teeth. We think it will provide better protection because the patient will be taking their treatment on a regular basis without any interruptions.”
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The toothpaste, which doesn’t yet have a commercial name, is a product from biotechnology company Intrommune Therapeutics. When people brush their teeth with it, the peanut protein gets absorbed into their mouth. Over time, immune cells in the mouth should become desensitized to the allergen and people’s reactions to peanuts could become less severe.
