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Mums rejoice: cure found for peanut allergies

It’s the life-threatening allergy that’s seen peanuts blacklisted all over Australia, but a new study might be the saviour allowing peanut butter back into kids classrooms.

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A clinical trial at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute has discovered a treatment that resulted in children cured of their peanut allergy.

The trial saw 48 children being given a probiotic treatment called lactobacillus rhamnosus, along with a peanut protein, every day for 18 months.

Peanut butter lovers rejoice - a cure is here for those who are allergic. Photo: Getty
Peanut butter lovers rejoice - a cure is here for those who are allergic. Photo: Getty

Results saw 82 percent of the children who had been given the probiotic and peanut protein found to be tolerant to peanuts.

Further testing found that four years later, 70 percent of these children still had a tolerance to peanuts.

Source: Giphy
Source: Giphy

"These findings suggest our treatment is effective in inducing long-term tolerance, up to four years after completing treatment and is safe," said Murdoch Children's Research Institute immunologist, Professor Mimi Tang.

Scientists say the probiotic works to change how the immune system reacts to the allergy and encourage a tolerance – and it’s set the ball rolling for what could be a life-changing cure for many families.

ABC reports 10-year-old Olivia May was one of the children taking part in the study, with her mum Tanya explaining how there’s no longer the anxiety or worry of her daughter suffering from an allergic reaction.

"I think perhaps one of the best things has been to be able to just go to parties and I can drop her off or at a sleep over," Tanya told the ABC.

"I used to hand over a EpiPen to a parent I'd hardly knew and give them a 30-second explanation how to use it.”

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