If you have an interest in developments in allergy diagnosis and treatments, www.dbv-technologies.com will be right up your street.
Allergies have probably never been more prominent in the public consciousness than they are now. Well-known allergies include foods such as egg, milk and peanuts.
DBV Technologies is now leading the way in combatting certain allergies through the Viaskin Patch (http://www.dbv-technologies.com/en/viaskin-technology/viaskin-patch).
The Viaskin platform is a patch which works upon application to the skin. The primary aspects of the patch are a titanium backing and a crown, which forms a condensation chamber with the skin.
The theory underlying the Viaskin patch isn’t particularly complicated. An antigen is sprayed onto the patch using electrospray technology. This creates an even layer of dry antigens.These antigens or allergens can travel through the skin and into the Langerhans cells, rather than entering the bloodstream, with the attendant risk of anaphylaxis. These cells are very tolerogenic, making them ideal for the purposes of ‘tolerization’.
As a peanut allergy treatment, the patch even has the potential to save lives.