Peanut Allergy May Be Cured After Undergoing Bone Marrow Transplant

People allergic to peanuts but have undergone bone marrow transplant may no longer endure the said condition, a recent study confirms.

A 10-year old boy who had allergic reactions to peanuts lost the allergy after receiving bone marrow transplant to treat his acute lymphocytic leukemia. "It has been reported that bone marrow and liver transplants can transfer peanut allergy from donor to recipient," allergist Yong Luo said "But our research found a rare case in which a transplant seems to have cured the recipient of their allergy."

Results of the study that were presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology's meeting in Baltimore showed the story of the 10-year old boy as its case study. The team of researchers shared that the patient who was diagnosed with peanut allergy at 15 months suffered from vomiting and his entire body was covered in hives.

At the age of the 10, the boy was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia and received transplant from a donor who was free from peanut allergies. The child was required to undergo an "oral food challenge" wherein he was ingested with a small amount of peanut, but this time around did not suffer from any reaction.

In 2005, UK researchers observed a 12-year old boy lose his peanut allergy after receiving bone marrow transplant. In 1999, a five-year old's latex allergy was also cured after receiving the same type of transplant, according to the NBC. However, bone marrow transplants are known for causing major risks such as infection, anemia, bleeding and diarrhea. Peanut allergy is one of the most common allergies in the United States and it affects approximately 400,000 Americans. Peanut allergy is also the most common food allergy among schoolchildren and may possibly last a lifetime, according to Medical Daily.