A recent study reveals bone marrow transplant is not only a life saving treatment for cancer patients but can also help in getting rid of food allergies.
The study is based on the results of a bone marrow transplant done on a 10-year-old child
A 15 months old baby was diagnosed with peanut allergy. At the age of four, the same kid was detected with acute lymphocytic leukemia. The patient underwent chemotherapy sessions but they did not do much good. Finally, at the age of 10 the boy underwent a bone marrow transplant.
A year after the bone marrow transplant the boy got completely cured and a few tests were done to confirm the same that surprisingly also showed that he no longer had peanut allegry.
"Our research found a rare case in which a transplant seems to have cured the recipient of their allergy," said Dr. Yong Luo, an allergist and the lead author of the study, reports nbcnews.
Allergies usually get transmitted to the patient from the bone marrow of the donor.
"Food allergy is associated with the body's abnormal production of high specific IgE levels," said Dr. Steven Weiss, according to news.com. "This case...indicates that genetic modification during the early stages of immune-cell development in bone marrow may play a large role in causing allergy."
Dr. Weiss published the case study, in American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, (ACAAI).
Around five percent of school going kids are affected by food allergies. According to the National Institute of Health, peanut allergy is one of the most common types of food allergies found in the U.S. kids. Around 40,000 kids are affected by this allergy, according to recent records, claims ACAAI.
