(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- If you avoid certain foods because of allergic reactions, researchers may have found a way to get them back on your plate.
Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a method to prevent allergic reactions without causing side effects.
Northwestern said the new method is the first targeted therapy to prevent anaphylaxis – a severe allergic reaction.
The researchers used nanoparticles with attached antibodies to target immune cells, also called mast cells, which cause allergic reactions. They experimented on mice and none of the mice experienced anaphylactic shock, and all survived.
“You can use any allergen that you want, and you will selectively shut down the response to that allergen,” said Evan Scott, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering. “The allergen would normally activate the mast cell.
The findings could pave the way for letting people re-introduce foods into their diet they've had to avoid.
The research was published in the journal "Nature Nanotechnology."
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