October 30, 2017
New research detailing the discovery of a gene that may be responsible for a variety of allergic responses to peanuts and other foods was recently discussed in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. One of the coauthors of the new paper, Dr. Denise Daley of the University of British Columbia (UBC), believes this gene is an important finding since it could help doctors identify children at risk for food allergies in the future.
This study identified five genetic locations that may be involved in how and whether a person becomes allergic to peanuts through epigenetics. Identifying these locations is significant because it lends support to findings from a previous clinical study in 2015 that found allergies to peanuts were reduced if babies were exposed at a younger age. This information sharply changed medical practice guidelines on early child peanut exposure relatively recently. Dr. Daley’s findings may be an important link in explaining why early exposure or lack thereof influences risk of developing peanut allergies.
As discussed in this article, Dr. Denise Daley also works in areas of related diseases including asthma and eczema. She currently works as a principal investigator on a project called “Epigenetic mechanisms for the development of asthma” led by Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and co-led by Genome BC. For information on this project, contact us at: info@genomebc.ca
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http://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/peanut-allergy-gene-discovery-could-lead-to-early-diagnosis
