ATLANTA — Researchers in Atlanta are testing a new skin stamp in a first-of-its-kind trial for people living with peanut allergies.
Channel 2’s Lori Wilson spoke with Dr. Brian Vickery, chief of allergy and immunology at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, about phase one of the study.
Vickery said 8% of people have food allergies, or about two kids in every classroom.
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“It’s a big problem. It’s kind of hard to treat,” Vickery said.
He said food allergic reactions send a child to the emergency room about once every 3 minutes.
Vickery said children with peanut allergies can face social isolation, impaired quality of life, stress and even diagnosable anxiety and depression from managing the condition.
Researchers at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory teamed up to study a new way to help children avoid the effects of peanut exposure.
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The study uses a stainless steel stamp-like microneedle created by Atlanta-based company Moonlight Therapeutics Inc. It is about the size of a quarter and can deliver as little as 1 microgram of peanut protein.
During the study, patients will be exposed once a week for 3 minutes per session.
Vickery said the skin stamp will not cure a peanut allergy, but the therapy could be a fast and effective way to make severely allergic people less sensitive.
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“The advantage of this technology is that it allows you to consistently deliver those low doses which we hope will be safe and well tolerated,” Vickery said.
The Food and Drug Administration approved the microneedle therapy in 2025. The study will have 3 phases.
“We’re really working to come up with solutions to protect kids from those exposures and help them live a normal, everyday life,” Vickery said.