walnut oral immunotherapy

Walnut oral immunotherapy (OIT) is an investigational therapeutic approach designed to induce clinical desensitization in individuals with walnut allergy. The treatment involves the daily ingestion of gradually increasing amounts of walnut protein (typically in the form of walnut flour or crushed walnuts) until a maintenance dose is reached. This process aims to modulate the immune system's response, shifting from a Th2-mediated allergic response to a more tolerant state characterized by increased allergen-specific IgG4 and decreased IgE/IgG4 ratios. Clinical research, particularly from academic centers like Shamir Medical Center, has demonstrated that successful walnut OIT can also lead to cross-desensitization in patients co-allergic to other tree nuts, such as hazelnut, due to shared protein components like 2S albumins.

Other names

walnut OIT