Recent advances in the diagnosis and therapy of peanut allergy.

Peanut allergy is a life-threatening, IgE-mediated allergic disease. In developed countries, the prevalence rate of peanut allergy in school-aged children is reported to be in excess of 1% and continues to rise, representing a major public health concern. Peanut allergy is diagnosed on the basis of a relevant clinical history combined with results of skin-prick testing and/or peanut-specific IgE levels. A double-blind placebo-controlled oral food challenge is the gold standard for diagnosis. Currently, there is no approved treatment or disease-modifying therapy for peanut allergy. This review discusses recent advances in molecular diagnostic techniques for peanut allergy and highlights advances in peanut allergy therapeutics, discussing allergen-specific and allergen-nonspecific treatments that are currently in Phase I/II clinical trials.