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Peanut Better?

Do you know any kids who are allergic to peanuts? If so, then you know that they can't come near anything with peanuts in it. This rules out not only peanut butter but plain chocolate candies, sunflower seeds and many other foods that can contain traces of peanuts. When people with this allergy are exposed to just a tiny amount of peanut dust, they could have a reaction so serious that they can't breathe. Those who don't get medical treatment quickly can die. More than 1.5 million Americans are allergic to peanuts. More than 150 die as a result each year.

Last week, peanut-allergy sufferers got some great news: Doctors think they have found a way to reduce the seriousness of allergic reactions to peanuts. Their report appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In a study, people with severe peanut allergies were injected with an experimental drug: TNX-901. Afterward, they could safely eat a small amount of peanuts for the first time. "We still need to nail down the right dose," admits Donald Leung, M.D., one of the researchers.

Why do some people have peanut allergies? It seems that their immune systems--natural, disease-fighting equipment--make an extra amount of a substance called IgE (immunoglobulin E). TNX-901 blocks the action of IgE to reduce the seriousness of an allergic reaction. In fact, it may help fight other kinds of allergic reactions too.

The drug is not yet available and must be tested further. Jacqui Corba, 13, expects to be in the next study. She once was rushed to the emergency room after a kid opened a bag of peanuts two tables away from her in her school cafeteria. "I would love to be relaxed for once," she said. --By Martha Pickerill

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