Chinese herbal therapy for the treatment of food allergy

Julie Wang, Xiu Min Li

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been widely used in China to treat various diseases for thousands of years. Given its reputed effectiveness, low cost, and favorable safety profile, TCM is attracting great interest in Western societies as a source of therapy for an array of illnesses, including allergies and asthma. Although food allergy has not been described in the TCM literature, a novel treatment for food allergy, named the food allergy herbal formula-2 (FAHF-2), was developed using TCM principles. Using a well-characterized murine model of peanut allergy, FAHF-2 has been shown to be highly effective in providing long-term protection against peanut-induced anaphylaxis, with a high safety margin. Phase 1 human trials have demonstrated the safety of FAHF-2 in food allergic individuals. Currently, a phase 2 trial examining efficacy of FAHF-2 is on-going. Other TCMs also show a potential for treating food allergies in preclinical studies.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)332-338
Number of pages7
JournalCurrent Allergy and Asthma Reports
Volume12
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2012
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Allergy
  • Chinese herbal medicine
  • Food
  • Food allergy herbal formula-2
  • Therapy FAHF-2
  • Treatment

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