A research team at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA, led by Dr. André Nel, has developed a nanoparticle that may prevent and reverse peanut allergies in mice. Dr. Nel, a professor of medicine and director of research at the institute, described how the technology works by delivering nanoparticles to specific liver cells. This process helps reprogram the immune system to tolerate peanut proteins.
The development was recently highlighted in a Scientific American cover story focusing on therapies for peanut allergies. In laboratory tests with mice, the nanoparticles reduced severe allergic symptoms and were able to stop allergies from developing.
Peanut allergies affect approximately 1 in 50 children in the United States, making it one of the country’s fastest-growing medical concerns. Severe cases can result in anaphylactic shock, which may block airways and lead to cardiac arrest.
Following the publication of Dr. Nel’s study in 2023, which has been widely cited and inspired a startup based on this technology, his team has expanded its research to other conditions such as egg allergies and diabetes. “We can also achieve success in preventing type 1 diabetes in an animal model,” said Dr. Nel. “We’ve also seen that it’s possible to treat a mixed food allergy in the mouse model, where we combined peanut allergen with an egg protein.”
