© http://freestockgallery.de
About 70% of those with a birch pollen allergy are also allergic to apples. In those affected, eating apples leads to swelling and rashes or itching in the mouth and gullet, as well as in the ear area, and even to blistering. Working in close collaboration with Tamar Kinaciyan at the Medical University of Vienna’s Department of Dermatology, a research group led by Barbara Bohle at the Institute of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research has now proven in a Phase II trial that the apple allergen "Mal d 1" significantly reduces the symptoms of apple allergy and is therefore an effective and safe treatment option.
The results of the Phase II trial now have to be verified in a (multi-center) clinical Phase III trial. As soon as this trial has been successfully completed and a partner has been found from the pharmaceutical industry, this immunotherapy could be available in a few years for treating apple allergy.
