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Doctors Hope 'Peanut Patch' Will Curb Allergy

DENVER (CBS4) - Can wearing a peanut patch help treat a peanut allergy? That's what doctors at National Jewish Health are trying to find out.

The doctors are taking part in research to see if the patch -- a shiny gold disc about the size of a quarter -- carrying increasing amounts of peanut protein can desensitize patients, making them less allergic.

Right now they're in the middle of a 2-week safety study to see if the patch is safe to use in patients. If it is they'll move on to treatment trials to see if it actually works. Clinical trials probably won't be underway until the fall, and it likely won't be several years until researchers determine whether the patch helps peanut allergy sufferers.

Doctors say it's not a cure, but they are cautiously optimistic that it will be a safer, more available treatment option for peanut allergy.

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