Treating peanut allergy with regular exposure to small amounts of the food is effective - but only if a patient stays on the therapy, a study suggests.

Axar.az reports citing BBC.

King's College London scientists looked at the underlying behaviour of patients' cells - and found it did not change.

They say that shows immunotherapy offers "protection but not a cure" for peanut allergies.

Allergy UK said that, even so, the treatment was a "positive step".

It is estimated about one in 50 UK children has a peanut allergy.

There is no cure. The only way most people can manage it is by trying to avoid peanuts - which can be difficult and restrictive.

In immunotherapy, people are given a small amount of the substance they are allergic to - in this case peanut - every day.