Vaccines targeting IgE in the treatment of asthma and allergy

Abstract

inappropriate immune responses characterized by the increase of serum IgE antibodies to common aeroallergens in genetically susceptible individuals.Serum IgE levels have been correlated with airway hyperresponsiveness both in adults 10,11 and in children, 12 and is associated with the severity of asthma. 13 It is well-established that the risk of developing asthma increases with increasing levels of serum IgE. 11 In addition to asthma, IgE is also responsible for allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, adverse reactions to foods, medications, insect bites and stings and anaphylaxis, which are also increasing at an alarming rate. 3,5,14 Immunotherapies and biological agents in the treatment of asthma and allergy. Basic treatment for allergy and asthma includes (1) allergen avoidance, (2) pharmacological management that consists of sodium cromoglycate, inhaled corticosteroids, and histamine H1-receptor antagonists, etc. and (3) immunotherapy consisting of antigen-specific and non-allergen-specific approaches. 15 The purpose of antigen-specific immunotherapy is to desensitize allergic subjects by repeated subcutaneous injections of small and gradually increasing amounts of the offending allergen. This therapy has been used for more than 100 years and is effective in the treatment of hay fever and venom allergy, but is less effective in asthma control. 15 As most allergic subjects are sensitized to multiple allergens, non-allergen specific immunotherapy would be more effective in the treatment of these subjects. Overexpressed IgE and Th2 cytokines play important roles in the development of allergic inflammation; one intriguing strategy aims at limiting production of IgE and cytokines, or their accessibility to their respective receptors, so as to control the pathogenic process. To date, many new biological agents used as therapeutic modifiers have emerged as important new treatments. These include the administration of humanized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against such molecules or their receptors, soluble receptors, or mutated cytokines as passive blockers, [16][17][18][19] as summarised in Table 1. 16,20 Among these biological agents, the monoclonal antibody to IgE (omalizumab) has been proven to be effective in the treatment of asthma.IgE and its high affinity receptor (FcγRI). Since IgE was discovered in 1966, 21 it has been considered to be an important biological target in the treatment of allergy and asthma. IgE antibodies are known to play a major role in the development and regulation of asthmatic responses and are directly responsible for the allergic cascade. 22 These allergen-specific IgE antibodies bind to high affinity Allergic diseases including asthma are characterized by an increase of serum IgE levels. Since IgE was discovered in 1966, it has been considered to be the most important biological target in the treatment of allergy and asthma. Indeed, recent studies reveal that IgE, through its high affinity IgE receptors (FcεRI), is now considered a critical regulator of Th2 responses. This is suppor...

Novel eosinophilic gene expression networks associated with IgE in two distinct asthma populations

“…A large proportion of asthma cases are characterized by an increase in serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels (5), and a dose-response relationship between IgE levels and disease severity has been demonstrated (6). Total IgE is an important therapeutic target, and existing biologic therapies (including omalizumab and recently approved reslizumab and mepolizumab) target IL-4, IL-5, IL-13, and IgE-specific pathways (7).…”

Targeting IL-12/IL-23 by Employing a p40 Peptide-Based Vaccine Ameliorates TNBS-Induced Acute and Chronic Murine Colitis

“…This new strategy may offer long-term efficacy with fewer adverse effects (22,23). To break immune tolerance, these vaccines generally are made by inserting heterogeneous T cell epitopes into the target self-cytokine (24), or linking the intact self cytokine to a foreign carrier protein (25).…”

Study of serum IgE levels in childhood asthma in Barabanki region, India

“…[3][4][5] Most of the asthma patients are allergic to inhaled and chemical antigens which lead to their sensitization and a hyper-responsive airway. 6,7 These antigens stimulate the induction of TH2 type T cells and other immune cells, which produce proallergic, proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin IL-4, IL-5, IL-13), and chemokines (eotaxins) which mediate the inflammatory process.…”