A new inhibitor could be the key to treating peanut allergy

Peanuts.
(Image credit: Neydtstock/ iStock)

If you're one of the 75 million people on Earth with a peanut allergy, here's some exciting news: Scientists are getting closer to developing a treatment for the allergy that might not involve stabbing yourself with an EpiPen.

In a new study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on Monday, researchers managed to find a way to inhibit an allergic reaction to peanuts. The reaction starts when peanuts enter the person's body and their immune system misinterprets the food as a threat, Newsweek explained. It then creates a protein called immunoglobulin E (IgE) in order to attack the food, which prompt reactions from itchiness and hives to a swelling throat and difficulty breathing.

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Shivani is the editorial assistant at TheWeek.com and has previously written for StreetEasy and Mic.com. A graduate of the physics and journalism departments at NYU, Shivani currently lives in Brooklyn and spends free time cooking, watching TV, and taking too many selfies.