Genome Engineering

The prevalence of peanut allergies (and allergies overall) is increasing, but it is not entirely clear why – it may be because of changes in the environment we live in, or changes in diet and exposure (or lack of exposure) to peanuts. Allergies do seem to run in families, and a team of researchers, led by the University of Dundee, has identified a gene associated with sensitivity to peanuts.

The study, which included patients from English, Dutch, Irish and Canadian populations, looked at filaggrin loss-of-function mutations. The study suggested that one in five people with a peanut allergy have a mutation in this gene, and people with this mutation are three times more likely to develop a peanut allergy than those without the mutation.

The filaggrin protein binds to keratin, and mutations in this gene have been associated with damage to the protective barrier function of the skin, as well as increasing the incidence of atopic dermatitis, ichthyosis vulgaris (a form of very dry skin) and eczema. It is possible that the loss of integrity of the skin barrier will allow substances across that will trigger allergy. The results are published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

Treating peanuts may reduce the risk of an allergic reaction, but this is only in the experimental stages. While peanut allergies are real, and can be life threatening for some people, some physicians are concerned that nut bans may be causing more problems by reducing healthy children’s’ exposure to the nut proteins and so increasing the risks of developing allergies.

In further gene research, researchers at the University of Dundee have identified a gene involved in a rare form of male infertility, globozoospermia. In a family of five brothers all with globozoospermia, four showed a deletion in the gene DPY19L2. The research is published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.