Reassessing the Th2 cytokine basis of asthma

• Published in: Trends in pharmacological sciences (Regular ed.) 2004-05, Vol.25 (5), p.244-248
• Main Authors: O'Byrne, Paul M., Inman, Mark D., Adelroth, Ellinor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adrenal Cortex Hormones - therapeutic use; Antibodies, Monoclonal - therapeutic use; Asthma - classification; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - etiology; Asthma/classification/drug therapy/etiology; Clinical Trials; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Interleukin-4 - antagonists & inhibitors; Interleukin-5 - antagonists & inhibitors; Severity of Illness Index; Th2 Cells - drug effects; Th2 Cells - physiology; Th2 Cells/drug effects/physiology; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 0165-6147; 1873-3735
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2004.03.008

T helper (Th) 2 cytokines, particularly interleukin 4 (IL-4), IL-5 and IL-13, might be important in the development of allergic asthma. Humanized monoclonal antibodies (hMAbs) against IL-5, and a recombinant soluble human IL-4 receptor have been developed as possible treatments for this disorder. However, these approaches have not yet proven to be successful in the treatment of persistent asthma, suggesting that neither IL-4 nor IL-5 is important in asthma pathogenesis. Indeed, there is insufficient information about the efficacy of soluble IL-4 receptor and the anti-IL-5 hMAbs in the treatment of asthma to draw firm conclusions about the importance of these Th2 cytokines. Nevertheless, because IL-4 is required for IgE production and IL-5 is required for eosinophilopoesis, these Th2 cytokines must remain important candidates for a role in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma.