New Children's Hospital Study

A new study published in the September issue of The Journal of Clinical Investigation says Vitamin D might be used to treat and prevent severe allergic response to Aspergillus Fumigatus, a common airborne mold. While the mold does not cause serious symptoms in the majority of people who inhale it, for people with cystic fibrosis, it can cause a severe allergic response.

The research team was led by Dr. Jay Kolls, a lung disease researcher at Children's Hospital who works at Louisiana State University. They studied patients who had infections and had developed severe allergies and some who had not. Vitamin D helped those who had cystic fibrosis.

Kolls says this research might make treating the allergies a lot easier than with the strong medications commonly prescribed.

The researchers are now moving into clinical trials. This new research add to previous evidence that vitamin D may play a critical role on immune responses and allergic diseases.