Drug for Asthma Demonstrates Potential in Managing Food Allergies
In a groundbreaking study published in the prestigious journal Science, researchers from Northwestern University have discovered that the asthma drug Zileuton could potentially prevent severe food allergic reactions, including life-threatening food-induced anaphylaxis.
The study, which focused on the role of a gene called DPEP1 in food allergic reactions, found that Zileuton almost completely prevented anaphylaxis in mice by blocking the leukotriene pathway controlled by this gene.
Key findings from the Northwestern University research include:
- Zileuton, already FDA-approved for asthma, was able to reduce allergic mice’s risk of severe anaphylaxis from 95% susceptible to 95% protected by interrupting the leukotriene pathway controlled by the DPEP1 gene.
- The drug works by blocking leukotrienes—molecules causing inflammation—which are also targeted by asthma therapies, thus preventing the food allergen from triggering a serious immune reaction.
The findings have prompted the launch of human clinical trials to evaluate if Zileuton can similarly prevent severe food allergic reactions in people, potentially offering a safe, accessible, and inexpensive treatment option for millions affected by food allergies.
Given the current lack of FDA-approved disease-modifying drugs for food allergies, Zileuton represents a promising breakthrough distinct from existing treatments like peanut immunotherapy or omalizumab, which have limitations and risks.
If proven to work in humans, Zileuton or similar asthma drug options could become a go-to option for temporary protection, especially in unpredictable environments. The study may also explain why some people test positive for a food allergy but don't react when they eat the food.
The research sets the stage for more discoveries into how the gut interacts with allergens and what can be done to control that process safely. By stopping the action of leukotrienes in the gut, the study suggests that food allergens may be prevented from triggering a severe immune response.
The study presents an option for treating food allergies that works differently, by interrupting the chemical chain of events that leads to anaphylaxis. DPEP1 influences how certain inflammatory substances called leukotrienes behave in the gut, and Zileuton, a drug that blocks leukotrienes, was tested in the study and found to prevent severe allergic reactions.
The Northwestern team has initiated a small human trial to test if Zileuton has the same protective effect in people as it did in mice. Food allergies now affect more than 33 million people in the United States, and the two approved treatments currently available for food allergies are limited and have their own drawbacks.
The results mark a turning point in how scientists think about treating allergies, focusing on the pathways that allow allergens to enter the bloodstream and cause harm. The study was conducted at Northwestern University, and the research offers a new path for treating food allergies.
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