In 2011, Kim and colleagues -- including Wesley Burks, MD, dean of the UNC School of Medicine -- conducted a small study of 18 patients to show that SLIT was safe and effective over the course of one year. Since then, Kim and colleagues followed 48 patients in the SLIT protocol of 2 mg daily for five years. In the JACI paper, the researchers showed that 67 percent of these patients were able to tolerate at least 750 mg of peanut protein without serious side effects. About 25 percent could tolerate 5000 mg. Kim's data shows SLIT was about as effective as OIT, though the SLIT study was much smaller. And SLIT posed much less risk of serious side effects. The most common side effect was itchiness around the mouth that lasted about 15 minutes and did not need treatment. No one left the multi-year study because of side effects. "SLIT participants tolerated between 10 and 20 times more peanut protein than it would take for someone to get sick," Kim said. "We think this provides a good cushion of protection -- maybe not quite as good as OIT -- but with an easier mechanism (sublingually) and, as far as we can tell right now, a better safety signal." - www.sciencedaily.com