Clinical Research Directory

Understanding the Immune System's Role in Tree Nut and Peanut Allergies: Key Biomarkers for Diagnosis and Treatment Monitoring and Treatment Targets

Peanut and tree nuts belong to the main elicitors of pediatric food allergy and are the main cause of near fatal reactions in children requiring emergency management. Oral immunotherapy has emerged as an alternative treatment option for the management of food allergies, to enhance patients' safety and quality of life. Monitoring if the therapy is working relies on oral food challenges during the course of treatment. There is a clear need for reliable biomarkers that are reflective of the clinical progression during oral food challenges and during immunotherapy that would help with patient stratification and possibly for personalized treatment approaches in the future The aim of this study is to measure immune parameters in the blood of nut-allergic participants during oral food challenges and during the course of oral immunotherapy. The main questions the study aims to answer are: 1. Identify immune markers that correlate with clinical reactivity 2. Identify immune changes and markers that correlate with immunotherapy outcome Researchers will compare these immune parameters between nut-allergic participants on oral immunotherapy and with nut-allergic participants on avoidance diet. Additionally, we will also compare the immune parameters of these nut-allergic participants with those healthy adults.

UNC Cashew Sublingual Immunotherapy

The CASCADES study will investigate the safety and efficacy of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) for the treatment of cashew allergy in children ages 1-11 years old. Primary efficacy will be assessed after 18 months of cashew SLIT. Lab studies and an oral food challenge after 6 months of cashew SLIT will help determine how quickly cashew SLIT begins to take effect.

Blood Samples for the Study of Peanut, Tree Nut and Other Food Allergies

Food allergies are now a major problem. These experiments involve getting blood from people with food allergies and from people without food allergies. The blood collected will be used to answer questions and find information about peanut and other food allergies. Samples will come from: * People signed up by the investigators at the University of Colorado Denver * University of North Carolina, Massachusetts General Hospital, Children's Hospital of Colorado and the Immune Tolerance Network (Benaroya Research Institute) where people have been treated for peanut allergies * University of North Carolina, Massachusetts General Hospital, National Jewish Health and The Children's Hospital in Denver where people have taken part or will take part in clinically indicated oral food challenges. Blood and health histories from the University of North Carolina, Massachusetts General Hospital, National Jewish Health, The Children's Hospital and the Immune Tolerance Network will not have personal information linked. The specific aims of this experiment are: 1. Come up with a lab test that will predict how bad an allergic reaction will be to peanuts. 2. Find out what part of a peanut causes allergic reactions. 3. Come up with preventions that can block peanut allergies. 4. Find the strongest proteins in walnuts.