Therapeutic potential of microbes and microbial products in the management of human allergic asthma

Abstract

The intellectual property literature concerning novel therapeutic applications of microbes and their products in the management of human allergic asthma during the period of 2001 – 2004 is reviewed. In contrast to the primary literature, surprisingly few patent citations (< 30) have been identified in this period, and the majority of the citations describe the application of Mycobacterium spp. and their novel components, bacterial unmethylated CpG dideoxynucleotides and endotoxin. In addition to the use of whole cells, several potentially therapeutic bacterial components have been characterised from Mycobacterium spp. and shown to be promising in the suppression of allergic and asthma-like responses when tested in mouse models. However, in most of these studies, the bacteria or their products were given before, concurrently, or shortly after allergen sensitisation, and hence their efficacy in the therapeutic application is not clear. Although the availability of microbe-based immunotherapy for clinical use in the management of allergic asthma remains a challenge to the research community, it can be viewed with cautious optimism that, in the foreseeable future, microorganisms and their products have the potential to become an important treatment option for asthmatic patients.

Keywords::

• allergic airway disease
• asthma
• immunisation
• immunotherapy
• microbes
• vaccine