Food allergies are a massive issue for many people across the world. The best-known allergies are probably to nuts, eggs and milk, but various types of fish and shellfish can also trigger reactions. The prevalence of allergies has meant that much research goes into tackling them, as you can see on the DBV Technologies internet site.
Source: http://www.dbv-technologies.com
This site showcases the work currently being undertaken by a French company called DBV Technologies which specializes in solutions for treating and diagnosing allergies. Their flagship food allergy treatment is called Viaskin, which is being developed in three main versions – peanut, cows’ milk protein and hen’s egg.
The diagram below will give you an idea of how the Viaskin patch works. Its adhesive crown enables it to be placed upon a patient’s arm. The upper surface of this patch has already been sprayed with an electrostatically-charged stream of antigens, which are evenly distributed across the surface of the titanium backing. Although this layer dries into a powder form, the body’s perspiration turns it back into liquid, and it’s in this form that it is able to pass through the skin and start working on tolerizing the body to the antigen in question.
