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Researchers hopeful new trial can cure egg allergies in babies

August 19, 2019

Egg allergies affect almost one in 10 babies, but a cure might not be far away.

Instead of avoiding egg, researchers in Australia want to introduce it to patients in a trial following a method that's already worked on peanut allergies.

Researchers are recruiting children allergic to eggs for an oral immunotherapy trial - feeding them the food they're allergic to along with a dose of good bacteria.

Murdoch Children's Research Institute professor Mini Tang said the good bacteria speaks to the immune system, telling it to to respond differently to the allergen.

In the trial, children will eat food with egg protein powder mixed through alongside a mixture of bacterial adjuvant and water. The egg dosage will then increase every two weeks over 18 months.

Ms Tang said the process worked for four out of five children who did a similar trial with peanuts. Researchers are hopeful if it works again it could be used for other foods too.

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