Update 2021: Advances and Highlights in Food Allergy: Innovation through
a Multi-Targeted Approach
Abstract
The incidence of food allergy (FA) has continued to rise over the last
several decades, posing significant burdens on health and quality of
life. Significant strides into the advancement of FA diagnosis,
prevention, and treatment have been made in recent years. In an effort
to lower reliance on resource-intensive food challenges, the field has
continued work toward the development of highly sensitive and specific
assays capable of high-throughput analysis to assist in the diagnosis
FA. In looking toward early infancy as a critical period in the
development of allergy or acquisition of tolerance, evidence has
increasingly suggested that early intervention via the early
introduction of food allergens and maintenance of skin barrier function
may decrease the risk of FA. As such, largescale investigations are
underway evaluating infant feeding and the impact of emollient and
steroid use in infants with dry skin for the prevention of allergy. On
the other end of the spectrum, the past few years have been witness to
an explosive increase in clinical trials of novel and innovative
therapeutic strategies aimed at the treatment of FA in those whom the
disease has already manifested. A milestone in the field, 2020 marked
the approval of the first drug, oral peanut allergen, for the indication
of peanut allergy. With a foundation of promising data supporting the
safety and efficacy of single- and multi-allergen oral immunotherapy,
current efforts have turned toward the use of probiotics, biologic
agents, and modified allergens to optimize and improve upon existing
paradigms. Through these advancements, the field hopes to gain footing
in the ongoing battle against FA.