Food allergies are a heated debate, with many drug companies and research facilities seeking a cure, while many feel that “science” is the very cause of the rise in autoimmune responses. From GMO’s to pesticides, the tampering with our food supply has been put into question.  Nonetheless, some scientists at the Institute of Food Research in the UK believe they may have discovered a huge lead toward the treatment of food allergies.

Led by Dr. Claudio Nicoletti, the team has identified a molecule that seems to be linked to the autoimmune response in food allergies. Interleukin-12 is absent in mice, which are bred to be allergic to peanuts. This missing molecule typically keeps immune responses under control.

With this new insight, the research group believes that a treatment for life-threatening food allergies may be a realistic possibility in the future. As this theory has yet to be tested on any human subjects, further studies will be required.

Though the focus will likely be on a “treatment” for this missing molecule (a.k.a. drugs), the potential for research looking into the cause of the missing molecule could provide even more answers.

The results of their research will be published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.