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Bridget M. Kuehn

JAMA. 2009;301(9):924.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Food allergies have become more prevalent in recent years and now affect more than 11 million US individuals. Study of how such allergies develop has been hindered by the lack of an animal model with many of the key features of human food allergies. Now, scientists from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill, have developed a promising mouse model for peanut allergies, and studies in this mouse model suggest that exposure to certain bacteria may make individuals more prone to developing allergic reactions to food (Ganeshan K et al. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2009;123[1]:231-238).

An eosinophil (distinguished by its characteristic doughnut-shaped nucleus) in the jejunum of a new mouse model for peanut allergy signals an allergic reaction. (Photo credit: Paul J. Bryce, PhD/Northwestern University)

The researchers found that mice given staphylococcal enterotoxin B along with peanut extract became sensitized to peanut allergens. This dual exposure, the authors . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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