Allergy News and Research

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The term allergy encompasses a wide range of conditions; it is not a disease in itself. In 1906 Clemens von Pirquet was the first to describe allergies as a changed or altered reaction of the immune system in response to exposure to foreign proteins. These days the term allergy – medically termed hypersensitivity, signifies an exaggerated reaction to foreign substances.

After grilling an NIH scientist over covid emails, Congress turns to Anthony Fauci

Former National Institutes of Health official Anthony Fauci has faced many hostile questions from members of Congress, but when he appears before a House panel on Monday, he'll have something new to answer for: a trove of incendiary emails written by one of his closest advisers.

31 May 2024

Inexpensive “duckbill” N95 becomes the champion in COVID-19 mask effectiveness

In a head-to-head comparison of masks worn by people with active COVID-19, the inexpensive "duckbill" N95 came out on top, stopping 98% of COVID-19 particles in the breath of infected people from escaping into the air.

30 May 2024

Existing drug alleviates symptoms of a rare genetic syndrome

A drug approved to treat certain autoimmune diseases and cancers successfully alleviated symptoms of a rare genetic syndrome called autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS-1).

30 May 2024

Early peanut consumption slashes allergy risk by 71%, landmark study finds

A recent study published in NEJM Evidence found that feeding children peanut products regularly from infancy to age five reduced the rate of peanut allergy in adolescence by 71%, providing long-term prevention through early allergen consumption

29 May 2024

New antibiotic lolamicin shows promise in fighting drug-resistant infections

Researchers have developed a new antibiotic that reduced or eliminated drug-resistant bacterial infections in mouse models of acute pneumonia and sepsis while sparing healthy microbes in the mouse gut.

29 May 2024

Johns Hopkins researchers propose a novel approach to addressing kidney donor shortage

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine propose a novel approach to addressing the pressing issue of a kidney donor shortage through findings that suggest a promising method to expand the pool of available kidney donors by utilizing deceased donors on dialysis for kidney transplants.

28 May 2024

New point-of-care test revolutionizes toxoplasmosis screening

An inexpensive, accurate test that detects infections with the parasite Toxoplasma gondii can provide results within 30 minutes from a finger-prick in a doctor's office or within an hour from a small blood sample tested in a local medical laboratory.

28 May 2024

Early peanut introduction reduces allergy risk by 71% in adolescents

Feeding children peanuts regularly from infancy to age five reduced the rate of peanut allergy in adolescence by 71%, even after many years when the children ate or avoided peanut as desired.

27 May 2024

Study reveals low adoption of recommended smart inhaler therapy for asthma

Only 14.5 percent of adult patients with moderate or severe asthma are prescribed the recommended SMART combination inhaler regimen and over 40 percent of academic pulmonary and allergy clinicians have not adopted this optimal therapy, according to research published at the ATS 2024 International Conference.

21 May 2024

Human body lice more efficient at transmitting Yersinia pestis than previously thought

A new laboratory study suggests that human body lice are more efficient at transmitting Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, than previously thought, supporting the possibility that they may have contributed to past pandemics.

21 May 2024

New tool may help identify newborns at highest risk for developing RSV lower respiratory tract infection

On the heels of a shortage of nirsevimab for infant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) prevention, a new tool may help identify newborns at highest risk for developing serious RSV LRTI, according to research published at the ATS 2024 International Conference.

21 May 2024

Dupilumab shows promising results in Phase 3 trial for COPD with type 2 inflammation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients with type 2 inflammation may soon gain access to a new drug -; dupilumab -; that showed rapid and sustained improvements in patients in a pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial, researchers report in the New England Journal of Medicine.

20 May 2024

Study confirms strong barrier preventing chronic wasting disease transmission to humans

A new study of prion diseases, using a human cerebral organoid model, suggests there is a substantial species barrier preventing transmission of chronic wasting disease (CWD) from cervids-;deer, elk and moose-;to people.

17 May 2024

Study reveals positive impact of repeat COVID-19 vaccinations

Health-care workers received the first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in December 2020.

17 May 2024

Vaccine candidate spurs elusive type of broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies

An HIV vaccine candidate developed at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute triggered low levels of an elusive type of broadly neutralizing HIV antibodies among a small group of people enrolled in a 2019 clinical trial.

17 May 2024

UVA develops big data tool to combat childhood diarrhea

University of Virginia researchers are developing a flexible online tool for navigating information used in the fight to save children from deadly diarrheal diseases by identifying transmission hotspots and accelerating the deployment of treatments and new vaccines.

17 May 2024