You may not have heard of epicutaneous immunotherapy before, but this technique is likely to become much better known soon through the research work performed by French firm DBV Technologies (http://www.dbv-technologies.com).
The growth in the incidence of allergies has been noticeable in recent years. Fairly prevalent allergies include foods such as egg, milk and peanuts.
DBV Technologies is seemingly well on the way to finding an EPIT-based solution to allergies – more information is available on http://www.dbv-technologies.com/en/epit.
The Viaskin patch is a simple adhesive patch worn on the skin. The crucial features of the patch are made up of its adhesive crown next to the skin and a titanium backing.
The idea behind this epicutaneous patch is surprisingly simple. An antigen is sprayed onto the patch using electrospray technology. This creates an even layer of dry antigens.These antigens or allergens can travel through the skin and into the Langerhans cells, rather than entering the bloodstream, with the attendant risk of anaphylaxis. These cells are very tolerogenic, making them ideal for the purposes of ‘tolerization’.
Amongst the different patches being tested is a milk allergy treatment, about which you can find out more at http://www.dbv-technologies.com/en/viaskin-products/Viaskin-milk.
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