Researchers have developed a novel platform to more accurately detect and identify the presence and severity of peanut allergies, without directly exposing patients to the allergen, according to a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
A team of chemical and biomolecular engineers at the University of Notre Dame designed nanoparticles that mimic natural allergens by displaying each allergic component one at a time on their surfaces. The researchers named the nanoparticles “nanoallergens” and used them to dissect the critical components of major peanut allergy proteins and evaluate the potency of the allergic response using the antibodies present in a blood sample from a patient.
