Could New Skin Patch Mean Peanut Allergy Cure?

According to the UK Daily Mail, researchers who developed a new type of skin patch believe they may have found a cure for peanut allergies (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1392034/Doctors-invent-patch-c...). The revolutionary new patch is believed to have the ability to help thousands of people who currently suffer from severe peanut allergies. The researchers believe their patch presents a way to treat life-threatening peanut reactions.

The patch, developed by a pair of pediatricians in France, contains peanut oil. It delivers small doses of the oil underneath the skin, building up the body's tolerance to peanut exposure. One of the inventors of the patch, Dr. Pierre-Henri Benhamou, explained how it works: “the patch would be worn daily for several years and would slowly reduce the severity of accidental exposure to peanuts.” They believe that after about a year of wearing the patch, patients may no longer experience severe reactions to peanuts, through a complete cure might take several additional years.

Trials to test the safety of the product with human patients have begun in both Europe and in the United States. If the trials are successful, the patch could go on sale in as little as three years. “What we want to do most is to eliminate the severe reaction that occurs when people are exposed to the tiniest speck of peanut,” said Dr. Benhamou.

What do you think of this new method for treating peanut allergies?