The dramatic rise in all types of allergy in the past 20 to 30
years, including food allergies, is striking. There is evidence that
peanut allergy has doubled just in the last five years. A recent report
from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that all
food allergies are on the rise and three million children in the United
States – including nearly 8 percent of young children – now have at
least one food allergy.
Renowned food allergy expert Robert Wood, chief of the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Hopkins Children’s, and author of Food Allergies for Dummies, was
the first to show that some children do outgrow a peanut allergy. Our
investigators have now shown that, contrary to popular belief, milk and
egg allergies are outgrown much more slowly than previously thought and
that a great number of children never outgrow these allergies.
Wood
is the principal investigator of 17 different research studies and a
co-investigator in five other studies. All are directed, in one way or
another, at addressing the critical challenges of asthma and food
allergies.
Current Research and Planned Trials
1. Oral and Sublingual Immunotherapy for the
Treatment of Allergy
- A study, initiated by Dr. Wood, seeking to develop
treatments for children with severe, persistent milk allergy. This study, which
started in June, 2007, was the first study of its kind in the world. The
results of this study have now been published and showed dramatic improvements
among these children, such that the average child could tolerate over 100 times
more milk after the treatment, while some appear to be completely cured.
- A second milk immunotherapy study was initiated in
September, 2008. This study is also the
first of its kind in that it will compare oral and sublingual immunotherapy in
a group of children with severe milk allergy that would almost certainly never
go away on its own.Results thus far are
extremely encouraging.
- In early 2010, Dr. Wood will begin a study of oral and
sublingual immunotherapy for peanut allergy, a unique combination that has
never been studied for this highly prevalent and potentially deadly allergy. This
study has now received FDA approval and is a major focus of current
fund-raising efforts.
- In addition to the immunotherapy studies, In July,
2009, Dr. Wood initiated a study on the use of anti-IgE antibody (omalizumab)
for the treatment of peanut allergy, a study designed to both study the
potential for this drug to treat peanut allergy and to improve our
understanding of food reactions.
2. The Consortium for Food Allergy Research (CoFAR)
Five academic medical
centers, including Hopkins Children’s,have been funded
by the NIH and charged with the task of exploring the rise in food allergy and
developing THE CURE. Studies include:
- The natural
progression of food allergy from infancy through age 5 years
- Oral
immunotherapy for the treatment of egg allergy
- Sublingual
immunotherapy for the treatment of
peanut allergy
- Treatment of
peanut allergy with modified, recombinant peanut proteins – a “peanut vaccine.”
3. The Inner-City Asthma Consortium (CAC)
Eight
academic medical centers, including Hopkins Children’s and funded by the NIH,
are seeking to unravel the causes of and develop new treatments for asthma in
inner-city children. Current studies in
this consortium include:
- A birth cohort
study of inner-city asthma
- Studies of
sublingual immunotherapy for cockroach allergy, the first studies of their kind
in the world
4. The Natural History of Childhood Food Allergy
A
series of studies conducted over the past 10 years – and likely for next 10 –
20 years (until we perfect the cure) on what food allergy does over time, what
is outgrown and what is not, and WHY.
Dr. Wood was the first to show that some children do outgrow peanut
allergy and our investigators have now shown that, contrary to popular belief,
milk and egg allergy are outgrown much more slowly than previously thought and
that a great number of children never outgrow these allergies. A study on the
natural history of wheat allergy, again the first of its kind, was published in
early 2008, and a study on soy allergy was just recently published.
5. Food Allergy in Adolescents and Adults
Most deaths from food allergy occur in adolescents and young adults. This study seeks to find out why and what treatments would be most effective in this high-risk group of patients.
How You Can Help Advance Research
Immunologist Robert Wood and his team of experts have extensive experience in clinical and laboratory research in asthma and allergy, including the development of novel allergy treatments, and we are therefore especially well equipped to take on this important challenge. A true treatment is on the horizon within this decade or the next.
For more information on how to help fund these programs and/or the work of Dr. Wood and his team, contact Jennifer Balzano, Office of Development, Hopkins Children’s, 410-516-4513.
Examples of Helping: Proceeds from these ventures help fund food allergy research at Hopkins Children's.
- Allergic Kids Just Want to Be One of the Gang: A mother sets out to illustrate for her son, and others like him, that food allergies are not roadblocks to healthy, happy lives.
- A Young Singer Makes Funding Food Allergies EZ: A teenager’s creates an effective fundraiser for food allergy research at Hopkins Children’s.
Robert Wood Talks about His Food Allergy Research
Director of pediatric allergy and immunology at Hopkins Children’s, Robert Wood believes we are 10-20 years away from a true treatment of food allergies, one that would allow patients to eat the foods to which they are allergic. At Hopkins Children’s, cutting-edge research studies are improving the quality of life for these patients today.
Watch Dr. Wood discuss food allergy research.