A clinical trial tested whether altering the gut microbiome could reduce peanut allergy severity in adults.

Researchers recruited six participants with confirmed peanut allergy and gave each a course of oral capsules containing freeze-dried faecal material from a single healthy donor without food allergies.

The treatment aimed to transfer beneficial microbes that might modulate immune responses to peanut proteins.

After the intervention, all six participants showed increased tolerance to peanut protein during supervised food challenges.

The amount of peanut protein they could consume without an allergic reaction rose compared with their baseline thresholds.

No serious adverse events were reported during the study period.

The trial was small and lacked a control group, so the results cannot yet establish causality or long-term durability.

Researchers plan larger, controlled studies to confirm the findings and explore optimal dosing and donor selection.

Sources and further reading

Swallowing faecal capsules reduces peanut allergy in six adults

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