396
Views
6
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Review

What have recent advances in therapy taught us about severe asthma disease mechanisms?

ORCID Icon, &
Pages 1145-1153 | Received 11 Jun 2019, Accepted 23 Sep 2019, Published online: 18 Oct 2019

References

  • Chung KF, Wenzel SE, Brozek JL, et al. International ERS/ATS guidelines on definition, evaluation and treatment of severe asthma. Eur Respir J. 2014;43:343–373.
  • Global Initiative for Asthma. GINA; 2019. [cited 2019 Apr 29]. Available from: http://ginasthma.org/
  • Chen S, Golam S, Myers J, et al. Systematic literature review of the clinical, humanistic, and economic burden associated with asthma uncontrolled by GINA Steps 4 or 5 treatment. Curr Med Res Opin. 2018;34:2075–2088.
  • Hekking PP, Wener RR, Amelink M, et al. The prevalence of severe refractory asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2015;135:896.
  • Vianello A, Caminati M, Andretta M, et al. Prevalence of severe asthma according to the drug regulatory agency perspective: an Italian experience. World Allergy Organ J. 2019;12:100032. in press.
  • O’Neill S, Sweeney J, Patterson CC, et al. The cost of treating severe refractory asthma in the UK: an economic analysis from the British thoracic society difficult asthma registry. Thorax. 2015;70:376–378.
  • Chen S, Golam S, Myers J, et al. Systematic literature review of the clinical, humanistic, and economic burden associated with asthma uncontrolled by GINA Steps 4 or 5 treatment. Curr Med Res Opin. 2018;34(12):2075–2088.
  • Caminati M, Senna G. Uncontrolled severe asthma: starting from the unmet needs. Curr Med Res Opin. 2019;35(2):175–177.
  • Menzella F, Bertolini F, Biava M, et al. Severe refractory asthma: current treatment options and ongoing research. Drugs Context. 2018;7:212561.
  • US FDA. Dupixent®(dupilumab) injection, for subcutaneous use: us prescribing information. [cited 2019 May 15]. Available from: https://www.Fda.Gov
  • [cited 2019 May 15]. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/medicines/human/EPAR/dupixent
  • [cited 2019 May 15]. https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/news/new-add-treatment-patients-severe-asthma
  • Georas SN, Rezaee F. Epithelial barrier function: at the front line of asthma immunology and allergic airway inflammation. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2014;134(3):509–520.
  • Caminati M, Pham DL, Bagnasco D, et al. Type 2 immunity in asthma. World Allergy Organ J. 2018;11(1):13–23.
  • Zhu TH, Zhu TR, Tran KA, et al. Epithelial barrier dysfunctions in atopic dermatitis: a skin-gut-lung model linking microbiome alteration and immune dysregulation. Br J Dermatol. 2018;179(3):570–581.
  • Loffredo LF, Abdala-Valencia H, Anekalla KR, et al. Beyond epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition: common suppression of differentiation programs underlies epithelial barrier dysfunction in mild, moderate, and severe asthma. Allergy. 2017;72:1988–2004.
  • Goleva E, Berdyshev E, Leung DY. Epithelial barrier repair and prevention of allergy. J Clin Invest. 2019;129(4):1463–1474.
  • Loxham M, Davies DE. Phenotypic and genetic aspects of epithelial barrier function in asthmatic patients. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2017;139(6):1736–1751.
  • Lloyd CM, Snelgrove RJ. Type 2 immunity: expanding our view. Sci Immunol. 2018 Jul 6;3(25):eaat1604.
  • Roan F, Obata-Ninomiya K, Ziegler SF. Epithelial cell-derived cytokines: more than just signaling the alarm. J Clin Invest. 2019 Apr 1;129(4):1441–1451.
  • Wills-Karp M. Interleukin-13 in asthma pathogenesis. Immunol Rev. 2004;202:175–190.
  • Gurram RK, Zhu J. Orchestration between ILC2s and Th2 cells in shaping type 2 immune responses. Cell Mol Immunol. 2019 Mar;16(3):225–235.
  • Liu S, Verma MM, Liu W, et al. Steroid resistance of airway type 2 innate lymphoid cells from patients with severe asthma: the role of thymic stromal lymphopoietin. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2018;141(1):257–268.e6.
  • Chen CC, Kobayashi T, Iijima K, et al. IL-33 dysregulates regulatory T cells and impairs established immunologic tolerance in the lungs. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2017;140:1351–1363.e7.
  • Siracusa MC, Kim BS, Spergel JM, et al. Basophils and allergic inflammation. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013;132:789–801.
  • Egawa M, Mukai K, Yoshikawa S, et al. Inflammatory monocytes recruited to allergic skin acquire an anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype via basophil-derived interleukin-4. Immunity. 2013;38:570–580.
  • Thibodeaux Q, Smith MP, Ly K, et al. A review of dupilumab in the treatment of atopic diseases. Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2019;20:1–11.
  • Edris A, De Feyter S, Maes T, et al. Monoclonal antibodies in type 2 asthma: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Respir Res. 2019 Aug 8;20(1):179.
  • Allinne J, Scott G, Birchard D, et al. Broader impact of IL-4Rα blockade than IL-5 blockade on mediators of type 2 inflammation and lung pathology in a house dust mite-induced asthma mouse model. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2019;199:A5555.
  • Caminati M, Vianello A, Chieco Bianchi F, et al., NEONET Study Group. Relevance of Th2 markers in the assessment and therapeutic management of severe allergic asthma: a real life perspective. J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol. 2019 Jan 24;30:1–22.
  • Ojanguren I, Chaboillez S, Lemiere C. Low blood eosinophil counts are not always a reliable marker of clinical response to mepolizumab in severe asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2018;30:S2213–2198(18)30291–5.
  • Silkoff PE, Laviolette M, Singh D, et al. Asthma characteristics and biomarkers from the Airways Disease Endotyping for Personalized Therapeutics (ADEPT) longitudinal profiling study. Respir Res. 2015;16:142.
  • Malinovschi A, Fonseca JA, Jacinto T, et al. Exhaled nitric oxide levels and blood eosinophil counts independently associate with wheeze and asthma events in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey subjects. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013;132:821–827.
  • Hastie AT, Moore WC, Li H, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Severe Asthma Research Program, et al. Biomarker surrogates do not accurately predict sputum eosinophil and neutrophil percentages in asthmatic subjects. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013;132:72–80.
  • Crespo A, Giner J, Torrejón M, et al. Clinical and inflammatory features of asthma with dissociation between fractional exhaled nitric oxide and eosinophils in induced sputum. J Asthma. 2016;53:459–464.
  • Pelaia C, Vatrella A, Busceti MT, et al. Severe eosinophilic asthma: from the pathogenic role of interleukin-5 to the therapeutic action of mepolizumab. Drug Des Devel Ther. 2017;11:3137–3144.
  • Bochner BS, Gleich GJ. What targeting eosinophils has taught us about their role in diseases. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010;126(1):16–25. quiz 26-7.
  • Stirling RG, van REL, Barnes PJ, et al. Interleukin-5 induces CD34(+) eosinophil progenitor mobilization and eosinophil CCR3 expression in asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001;164(8 Pt 1):1403–1409.
  • Smith SG, Chen R, Kjarsgaard M, et al. Increased numbers of activated group 2 innate lymphoid cells in the airways of patients with severe asthma and persistent airway eosinophilia. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2016;137(1):75–86 e8.
  • Ilmarinen P, Moilanen E, Kankaanranta H. Regulation of spontaneous eosinophil apoptosis-a neglected area of importance. J Cell Death. 2014;7:1–9.
  • Garlisi CG, Kung TT, Wang P, et al. Effects of chronic anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody treatment in a murine model of pulmonary inflammation. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 1999;20(2):248–255.
  • Bel EH, Wenzel SE, Thompson PJ, et al. Oral glucocorticoid-sparing effect of mepolizumab in eosinophilic asthma. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(13):1189–1197.
  • Ortega HG, Liu MC, Pavord ID, et al. Mepolizumab treatment in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. N Engl J Med. 2014;371(13):1198–1207.
  • Flood-Page P, Swenson C, Faiferman I, et al. A study to evaluate safety and efficacy of mepolizumab in patients with moderate persistent asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2007;176(11):1062–1071.
  • Mepolizumab FDA Package insert. Secondary Mepolizumab FDA Package insert. [cited 2019 May 15]. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/761070s000lbl.pdf - 38 Drick
  • Seeliger N, Welte B, Fuge T, et al. Anti-IL-5 therapy in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma - clinical efficacy and possible criteria for treatment response. BMC Pulm Med. 2018 Jul 18;18(1):119.
  • Caminati M, Senna G. Biologic therapy in a patient with asthma and nasal polyps. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2019;7(5):1700–1701. May - Jun.
  • Mukherjee M, Nair P. Blood or sputum eosinophils to guide asthma therapy? Lancet Respir Med. 2015 Nov;3(11):824–825.
  • Brusselle G, Bracke K. Targeting immune pathways for therapy in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2014 Dec;11(Suppl 5):S322–8.
  • Castro M, Zangrilli J, Wechsler ME, et al. Reslizumab for inadequately controlled asthma with elevated blood eosinophil counts: results from two multicentre, parallel, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trials. Lancet Respir Med. 2015;3(5):355–366.
  • Corren J, Weinstein S, Janka L, et al. Phase 3 study of reslizumab in patients with poorly controlled asthma: effects across a broad range of eosinophil counts. Chest. 2016;150(4):799–810.
  • Weinstein SF, Katial RK, Bardin P, et al. Effects of reslizumab on asthma outcomes in a subgroup of eosinophilic asthma patients with self-reported chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2019;7(2):589–96 e3.
  • Reslizumab package insert. Secondary reslizumab package insert. [cited 2019 May 15]. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2016/761033lbl.pdf
  • Lopez AF, Elliott MJ, Woodcock J, et al. IL-3 and IL-5: cross-competition on human haemopoietic cells. Immunol Today. 1992;13(12):495–500.
  • Kolbeck R, Kozhich A, Koike M, et al. MEDI-563, a humanized anti-IL-5 receptor alpha mAb with enhanced antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity function. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010;125(6):1344–53 e2.
  • Laviolette M, Gossage DL, Gauvreau G, et al. Effects of benralizumab on airway eosinophils in asthmatic patients with sputum eosinophilia. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013;132(5):1086–96 e5.
  • Bleecker ER, FitzGerald JM, Chanez P, et al. Efficacy and safety of benralizumab for patients with severe asthma uncontrolled with high-dosage inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta2-agonists (SIROCCO): a randomised, multicentre, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2016;388(10056):2115–2127.
  • FitzGerald JM, Bleecker ER, Nair P, et al. Benralizumab, an anti-interleukin-5 receptor alpha monoclonal antibody, as add-on treatment for patients with severe, uncontrolled, eosinophilic asthma (CALIMA): a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet. 2016;388(10056):2128–2141.
  • Nair P, Wenzel S, Rabe KF, et al. Oral glucocorticoid-sparing effect of benralizumab in severe asthma. N Engl J Med. 2017;376(25):2448–2458.
  • Busse WW, Bleecker ER, FitzGerald JM, et al. Long-term safety and efficacy of benralizumab in patients with severe, uncontrolled asthma: 1-year results from the BORA phase 3 extension trial. Lancet Respir Med. 2019;7(1):46–59.
  • AstraZeneca. Fasenra package insert. secondary fasenra package insert. [cited 2019 May 15]. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/761070s000lbl.pdf
  • Farne HA, Wilson A, Powell C, et al. Anti-IL5 therapies for asthma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;9:CD010834.
  • Bennich HH, Ishizaka K, Johansson SG, et al. a new class of human immunoglobulin. Immunology. 1968;15:323–324.
  • Finkelman FD, Urban JF Jr. The other side of the coin: the protective role of the Th2 cytokines. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;107(5):772–780.
  • Ishizaka K, Ishizaka T, Hornbrook MM. Physicochemical properties of reaginic antibody. V. Correlation of reaginic activity with gamma-E-globulin antibody. J Immunol. 1966;97:840–853.
  • Palomares O, Akdis M, Martín-Fontecha M, et al. Mechanisms of immune regulation in allergic diseases: the role of regulatory T and B cells. Immunol Rev. 2017;278:219–236.
  • Fahy JV. Type 2 inflammation in asthma—present in most, absent in many. Nat Rev Immunol. 2015;15(1):57–65.
  • Zhu Z, Homer RJ, Wang Z, et al. Pulmonary expression of interleukin-13 causes inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, subepithelial fibrosis, physiologic abnormalities, and eotaxin production. J Clin Invest. 1999;103(6):779–788.
  • Incorvaia C, Mauro M, Makri E, et al. Two decades with omalizumab: what we still have to learn. Biologics. 2018;12:135–142.
  • Schulman ES. Development of a monoclonal anti-immunoglobulin E antibody (omalizumab) for the treatment of allergic respiratory disorders. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2001;164:S6–11.
  • Bonini M, Di Maria G, Paggiaro P, et al. Potential benefit of omalizumab in respiratory diseases. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2014;113(5):513–519.
  • Brożek JL, Bousquet J, Agache I, et al. Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines-2016 revision. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2017;140(4):950–958.
  • The ENFUMOSA cross-sectional European multicentre study of the clinical phenotype of chronic severe asthma. European network for understanding mechanisms of severe asthma. Eur Respir J. 2003;22(3):470–477.
  • Moore WC, Bleecker ER, Curran-Everett D, et al. Characterization of the severe asthma phenotype by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s severe asthma research program. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2007;119(2):405–413.
  • Mouthuy J, Detry B, Sohy C, et al. Presence in sputum of functional dust mite-specific IgE antibodies in intrinsic asthma. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2011;184(2):206–214.
  • Denning DW, O’Driscoll BR, Hogaboam CM, Bowyer P, Niven RM. The link between fungi and severe asthma: a summary of the evidence. Eur Respir J. 2006;27(3):615–626.
  • Lombardi C, Savi E, Ridolo E, et al. Is allergic sensitization relevant in severe asthma? Which allergens may be culprit? World Allergy Organ J. 2017;10(1):2.
  • Cardet JC, Casale TB. New insights into the utility of omalizumab. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2019;143(3):923–926.
  • Froidure A, Shen C, Pilette C. Dendritic cells revisited in human allergic rhinitis and asthma. Allergy. 2016;71:137–148.
  • Schroeder JT, Bieneman AP, Chichester KL, et al. Decreases in human dendritic cell-dependent T(H)2-like responses after acute in vivo IgE neutralization. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2010;125:896–901.
  • Dullaers M, Schuijs MJ, Willart M, et al. House dust mite-driven asthma and allergen-specific T cells depend on B cells when the amount of inhaled allergen is limiting. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2017;140:76–88.
  • Matucci A, Vultaggio A, Maggi E, et al. Is IgE or eosinophils the key player in allergic asthma pathogenesis? Are we asking the right question? Respir Res. 2018;19(1):113.
  • Holt PG, Sly PD. Viral infections and atopy in asthma pathogenesis: new rationales for asthma prevention and treatment. Nat Med. 2012;18:726–735.
  • Lynch P, Mazzone SB, Rogers MJ, et al. The plasmacytoid dendritic cell: at the cross-roads in asthma. Eur Respir J. 2014;43:264–275.
  • Fehrenbach H, Wagner C, Wegmann M. Airway remodeling in asthma: what really matters. Cell Tissue Res. 2017;367:551–569.
  • Redhu NS, Gounni AS. The high affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) expression and function in airway smooth muscle. Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2013;26:86–94.
  • Roth M, Zhong J, Zumkeller C, et al. The role of IgE- receptors in IgE-dependent airway smooth muscle cell remodelling. PLoS One. 2013;8:e5601.
  • Mitchell PD, O’Byrne PM. Epithelial-derived cytokines in asthma. Chest. 2017;151:1338–1344.
  • Stokes JR, Casal TB. The use of Anti-IgE therapy beyond allergic asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2015;3:162–166.
  • Pillai P, Chan YC, Wu SY, et al. Omalizumab reduces bronchial mucosal IgE and improves lung function in non-atopic asthma. Eur Respir J. 2016;48:1593–1601.
  • Hew M, Gillman A, Sutherland M, et al. Real-life effectiveness of omalizumab in severe allergic asthma above the recommended dosing range criteria. Clin Exp Allergy. 2016 Nov;46(11):1407–1415.
  • Voskamp AL, Gillman A, Symons K. Clinical efficacy and immunologic effects of omalizumab in allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract. 2015;3(2):192–199. Mar-Apr. Epub 2015 Jan 29.
  • Arm JP, Bottoli I, Skerjanec A, et al. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and safety of QGE031 (ligelizumab), a novel high-affinity anti-IgE antibody, in atopic subjects. Clin Exp Allergy. 2014 Nov;44(11):1371–1385.
  • Maggi L, Rossettini B, Montaini G, et al. Omalizumab dampens type 2 inflammation in a group of long-term treated asthma patients and detaches IgE from FcεRI. Eur J Immunol. 2018;48(12):2005–2014.
  • Busse W, Corren J, Lanier BQ, et al. Omalizumab, anti-IgE recombinant humanized monoclonal antibody, for the treatment of severe allergic asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;108(2):184–190.
  • Teach SJ, Gill MA, Togias A, et al. Preseasonal treatment with either omalizumab or an inhaled corticosteroid boost to prevent fall asthma exacerbations. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2015;136(6):1476–1485.
  • Rodrigo GJ, Neffen H. Systematic review on the use of omalizumab for the treatment of asthmatic children and adolescents. Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2015;26(6):551–556.
  • Humbert M, Beasley R, Ayres J, et al. Benefits of omalizumab as add-on therapy in patients with severe persistent asthma who are inadequately controlled despite best available therapy (GINA 2002 step 4 treatment): INNOVATE. Allergy. 2005;60(3):309–316.
  • Roth M, Zhao F, Zhong J, et al. Serum IgE induced airway smooth muscle cell remodeling is independent of allergens and is prevented by Omalizumab. PLoS One. 2015;10(9):e0136549.
  • Hanania NA, Alpan O, Hamilos DL, et al. Omalizumab in severe allergic asthma inadequately controlled with standard therapy: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2011;154(9):573–582.
  • Caminati M, Senna G, Guerriero M, et al. Omalizumab for severe allergic asthma in clinical trials and real-life studies: what we know and what we should address. Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2015;31:28–35.
  • Tzortzaki EG, Georgiou A, Kampas D, et al. Long-term omalizumab treatment in severe allergic asthma: the south- eastern Mediterranean “real-life” experience. Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2012;25:77e82.
  • Caminati M, Senna G, Chieco Bianchi F, et al. Omalizumab management beyond clinical trials: the added value of a network model. Pulm Pharmacol Ther. 2014 Oct;29(1):74–79.
  • Vennera M, Perez DC, De Llano L, et al. Omalizumab therapy in severe asthma: experience from the Spanish registryesome new approaches. J Asthma. 2012;49:416e22.
  • Verstraete K, Peelman F, Braun H, et al. Structure and antagonism of the receptor complex mediated by human TSLP in allergy and asthma. Nat Commun. 2017;8:14937.
  • Gauvreau GM, O’Byrne PM, Boulet LP, et al. Effects of an anti-TSLP antibody on allergen-induced asthmatic responses. N Engl J Med. 2014;370:2102–2110.
  • Moffatt MF, Gut IG, Demenais F, et al. A large-scale, consortium-based genomewide association study of asthma. N Engl J Med. 2010 Sep 23;363(13):1211–1221.
  • Corren J, Parnes JR, Wang L, et al. Tezepelumab in adults with uncontrolled asthma. N Engl J Med. 2017;377:936–946.
  • Moussion C, Ortega N, Girard JP. The IL-1-like cytokine IL-33 is constitutively expressed in the nucleus of endothelial cells and epithelial cells in vivo: a novel ‘alarmin’? PLoS One. 2008;3:e3331.
  • Barlow JL, Peel S, Fox J, et al. IL-33 is more potent than IL-25 in provoking IL-13-producing nuocytes (type 2 innate lymphoid cells) and airway contraction. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013;132:933–941.
  • Mizutani N, Nabe T, Yoshino S. Interleukin-33 and alveolar macrophages contribute to the mechanisms underlying the exacerbation of IgE-mediated airway inflammation and remodelling in mice. Immunology. 2013;139:205–218.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.