Olivia Conniff
Mr. Ippolito
Current Event 1
9/5/19
Landhuis, Esther. “Liquid Mouth Drops Could One Day Protect People from Peanut Allergies.” Science News, 4 Sept. 2019, www.sciencenews.org/article/oral-drops-could-one-day-protect-people-peanut-allergies.
In an article written by Esther Landhuis of Science News, a new treatment that is being developed for allergy tolerance is described as being much more efficient as well as having much less side effects than the previously used treatment, oral immunotherapy. Oral immunotherapy, commonly referred to as OIT, is a treatment that is swallowed, and after taking it requires a 2-hour rest period. It also has many side effects, including nearly fatal allergic reactions that often times require epinephrine. The new treatment is called sublingual immunotherapy, or SLIT and is not only much more efficient for the receiver but safer as well. First and foremost, it does not require a 2-hour rest period after taking it, only a 2-minute period where it is held under the tongue. Also, the only recorded side effects so far are mild mouth itching for about 15 minutes after taking it. The main purpose of a treatment like this is to protect against accidental ingestion of an allergen, such as peanuts or another food. SLIT works by entering the bloodstream through the mouth’s mucous membrane, rather than being swallowed like OIT, meaning it can be taken in much smaller doses, and is therefore much easier for people to ingest.
Food allergies are a huge problem for children and adults alike. “Food allergies affect nearly 8 percent of U.S. kids and 11 percent of adults, estimates suggest. A study in 2010 suggests that the number of known peanut allergy cases tripled, for unclear reasons, from 1997 to 2008. Today, an estimated 2 percent of kids are allergic to peanuts” (Landuis). This treatment is quicker to administer, and much safer. In the study of SLIT that took place, it was discovered that 86% of the 37 children who participated were able to safely ingest 750 milligrams of peanut protein, found in 2 to 3 peanuts, and 32% of children were able to ingest 5,000 milligrams, or the amount in 17-20 peanuts. Many children even kept the tolerance after stopping the treatment for two to four weeks. This treatment is extremely progressive in terms of creating a safer world for people who suffer from food allergies, and have to be extremely aware of their safety on a daily basis. People who take it will no longer have to worry about accidentally ingesting an allergen and threatening their life.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this article as it was not only informative about the new treatment and how it works but it also gave examples of how the treatment impacts real people, by using quotes and not just numbers and statistics. Landhuis used clear language and kept explanations concise which made them easy to understand. She included statistics that proved the effectiveness of the treatment, such as the percentage of children in a study that were able to safely ingest allergens after taking it. She also added quotes from the mother of a child currently taking it to add the perspective of a real person and how the treatment is impacting them. “We choose SLIT because of how easy it is to administer and the low risk of reactions,’ says Bailie Kopco, whose 4-year-old son is receiving the liquid version at Allergenuity Health in Charlotte, N.C. ‘We were never looking for him to eat PB&J sandwiches at this point,’ she says. ‘Our goal at this time is to protect him from cross-contamination and accidental ingestion” (Landhuis). This gives the reader an idea of how the treatment is actually relevant and affecting real people. One thing that I think would have strengthened the article would be if Landhuis included details about the plans for the treatment in the future. I was curious to know if scientists thought it would be widely used by nearly everyone with an allergy or just a few, select people who seeked out the treatment. I am very interested to know if this treatment will just become an essential for anyone who has an allergy. Besides that I think the article was extremely well-written, easy to follow, and very informative.
Olivia’s review of “Liquid Mouth Drops Could One Day Protect People from Peanut Allergies” by Esther Landhuis is clear and concise, and conveys important information in a fairly compressed manner. Her review goes straight to the point while providing good context, stating the existing problems with immunotherapy, and then discussing the new developments that would solve and alleviate these issues - notably the risk of a serious allergic reaction and anaphylaxis as a result of current oral immunotherapy(OIT). She discusses relevant details and explains how the new immunotherapy treatment works; “SLIT works by entering the bloodstream through the mouth’s mucous membrane… meaning it can be taken in much smaller doses, and is therefore much easier for people to ingest”(Connif, 2019). Olivia also notes the importance of these new developments, providing statistics on the numbers of people who would end up benefiting from the new treatment. She ends her summarization on a positive note; “This treatment is quicker to administer, and much safer… This treatment is extremely progressive in terms of creating a safer world for people who suffer from food allergies, and have to be extremely aware of their safety on a daily basis. People who take it will no longer have to worry about accidentally ingesting an allergen and threatening their life”(Connif, 2019).
ReplyDeleteHowever, I do think that her second paragraph could have been more condensed. I thought that the quote she provided of a mother’s experience with the treatment was necessary for a review, as she had already mentioned that the article’s author included quotes from real people and the impact that has on the article, and left it at that. The quote was unnecessary. Additionally, I think her piece would be strengthened if she had discussed the costs and challenges of producing the medication, an estimate of how it would be priced on the market, and who would have access to the medication - of how it would directly impact the real world.
Overall, the review left me with a very positive, hopeful impression. I was compelled to read it because of my own interest in immunology, but this information is relevant to everyone struggling with allergies. This review gives me hope for the future, as my own family suffers from severe allergies and I want to avoid passing down those genes to my own children. With these new developments, I know that it is unlikely my children will have to suffer, and that they can begin taking the medication as young as four years old.