Researchers working on toothpaste to treat peanut allergies

One in 50 children in the United States has a peanut allergy. The number has tripled over the past 20 years, and nobody really knows why.

However, there are several breakthroughs that may ease their symptoms, including a toothpaste.

Five-year-old Kaleb Billeter is like most kids his age, with one exception.

“When Kaleb was six months old, he broke out into hives all over his chest, torso, face,” his mother, Elizabeth Billeter, said.

The hives were the first sign of a dangerous peanut allergy. Kaleb was treated with a peanut patch that he wore every day for several months. His parents hope, in the end, it will help him tolerate a small amount of nuts without having a reaction.

This is one of several new treatments. Another is oral immunotherapy.

Pediatric allergist Dr. Edwin Kim explained it is akin to micro-dosing peanuts.

“The kids eat that peanut flour in small increasing amounts to try to retrain their immune system and make them less reactive,” Kim said.

Now, researchers are working on a more novel therapy involving toothpaste. It could one day prevent severe allergic reactions by triggering immune cells in the mouth.

To learn more, click the video above.