Yet another link between allergies and the microbiome

A new study out in PNAS describes how gut bacteria in mice were responsible for protecting their host from peanut allergies.  In the study gnotobiotic (germ-free) mice which were peanut-sensitive were inoculated with various bacterial strains.  While some of the strains had no impact on the inflammation caused by peanuts, others, from the genus Clostridia (yeah, the same one as C. Difficile) actually prevented inflammation.  The researchers are hoping to discover a metabolite created by Clostridia that was responsible.  A nice longer form article about the paper was published by the BBC.