Is UCLA close to ending peanut allergies? Dr. André Nel thinks so. The distinguished professor of medicine and director of research at the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA is leading a team that developed a nanoparticle capable of preventing — and even reversing — peanut allergies in mice.
The technology — recently featured in a Scientific American cover story on the search for peanut allergy therapies — delivers nanoparticles directly to specific liver cells, where they help reprogram the immune system to tolerate peanut proteins. In tests, the nanoparticles not only reduced severe symptoms — they were also able to stop allergies from developing altogether.
All of which is potentially good news for the 1 in 50 children currently affected by peanut allergies, which have seen a sharp uptick in prevalence in recent years and are one of the nation’s fastest-growing medical concerns. The most severe cases can lead to a potentially deadly immune reaction called anaphylactic shock, which can block the airways and trigger cardiac arrest.
Since the 2023 publication of Nel’s breakthrough study — which has been widely cited and led to the launch of a startup based on the technology — his team has expanded its focus to other conditions, from egg allergies to diabetes.
“We can also achieve success in preventing type 1 diabetes in an animal model,” he said. “We’ve also seen that it’s possible to treat a mixed food allergy in the mouse model, where we combined peanut allergen with an egg protein.”
