WASHINGTON: A wearable skin patch may help children who are allergic to peanuts by delivering small doses of peanut protein, according to a new study that calls for the therapy to be further explored.
The study, published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, found that nearly half of those treated with the Viaskin Peanut patch for one year were able to consumer at least 10 times more peanut protein than they were able to prior to treatment.
The biggest benefit came for those from 4 years old to 11 years old. Participants older than 12 didn’t see as much of an effect, the study found.
The therapy works by training the immune system to tolerate small amounts of peanuts, said Dr. Daniel Rotrosen, of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, which is funding the ongoing clinical trial.
“Other recent advances have relied on an oral route that appears difficult for approximately 10 to 15 percent of children and adults to tolerate,” Rotrosen said.
While the trial found the immunotherapy treatment to be “potentially effective,” it cautioned that the study is limited. Further investigation is needed to find out if “the modest clinical changes noted will be enhanced after a longer duration of therapy,” the study said.
Those long-term results should be available in the future because the trial is continuing.
The Viaskin Peanut patch hasn’t been approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Study: Skin patch could help kids with peanut allergies
Study: Skin patch could help kids with peanut allergies
Where We Are Going Today: Black Cafe in Dhahran
- There were many pastries available but my latte was sweet enough so I did not indulge further on that visit
There is a new cafe in town at Khobar City Walk, near many of the popular eateries. Black Cafe is situated at the corner of the street so you might risk missing it altogether — that side of the building seemed to have been vacant for some time. But not anymore.
Despite its name, the interior is light-colored, aside from a few details such as the black straw and little tables inside.
Outside, there are plenty of seats and tables available so one can enjoy the cooler weather while it is still here.
I had the cafe to myself mostly, aside from a few customers who trickled in over the two hours I stayed there. It was a great spot to quietly read a book or sip a drink without the noise of the outside coming in.
I ordered an iced Spanish latte for SR19 ($5) and really liked it. There were many pastries available but my latte was sweet enough so I did not indulge further on that visit.
They gave out free bottles of water with every order, a nice gesture to remind us to keep hydrated as we caffeinated.
Open from 6:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m, they definitely should be getting a larger crowd. I think since that spot was vacant for so many years that perhaps not many have come across it. But it is worth a try.
They are opening two more branches — all in the Eastern Province — later this year.
Follow them @blackcafe.ksa on Instagram.
