Novel therapeutics for the treatment of asthma

Abstract

Studies over the last decade have established asthma as a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways. A variety of cell types and soluble mediators have been shown to be involved in this process, including IgE, mast cells, eosinophils and T-lymphocytes. T-cells of the Th2 type are thought to play a central role in regulating allergic inflammation primarily through the elaboration of cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-4, IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13. Expression of these cytokines has been demonstrated in human allergic disease and antagonists of IgE and Th2-derived cytokines have been shown to be efficacious in a wide range of preclinical models of human allergy. This greater understanding of the molecular basis of allergic inflammation has generated novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of asthma and related diseases. This review will outline current therapeutics which target the inflammatory response in asthma and will focus on antagonists of IgE and IL-4 which are currently in advanced stage clinical trials.

• allergy
• asthma
• cytokines
• IgE antagonists
• IL-4 antagonists immunoglobulins
• inflammation
• Th2 cells