Allergic diseases such as asthma affect a large number of people in the world. Severe allergy attack can be painful and even life-threatening. Existing therapies for allergy mainly work by blocking the effects of histamine or by inhibiting the body's overall immune response. The latter approach can cause severe side effects. In addition, these therapies are not always effective.
IgE, mast cells, basophils, and eosinophils are essential components of allergic inflammation. Allergic diseases are driven by two types of cells: mast cells and basophils. Moreover, there is evidence that both IgE antibodies and mast cells are also key drivers of the long-term pathophysiological changes and tissue remodeling associated with chronic allergic inflammation in a variety of allergic and inflammatory diseases. IgE antibodies and IgE-mediated mast cell and eosinophil activation contribute to these allergic diseases.
Mast cells are found in connective tissue, and basophils are present in the blood. These cells are effector cells in IgE-associated immune responses. Both of them can release histamine, an important weapon in the body's arsenal for fighting infection. However, when released into the body in too high quantity, histamine may trigger an allergic response and cause damage to the body.
A new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that using the exon skipping technique to eliminate the IgE receptor on mast cells is a potential way to treat allergic diseases. The study, carried out by investigators from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and North Carolina State University, would benefit people who are suffering from these diseases.
Glenn Cruse, first author of the study, and colleagues sought to find an innovative approach to directly down-regulate the function of mast cells. Using the exon skipping technology, Cruse's team eliminated surface high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI) expression and function, making mast cells unresponsive to IgE-mediated activation. Since only mast cells and basophils express the receptor FcεRI, this approach would selectively target mast cells and basophils.
Cruse's team tested their new approach both in vitro and in vivo. The results were encouraging: the approach eliminated activation of mast cells by allergen in vitro, and significantly reduced the allergic dermatitis response in a mouse model.
The exon skipping technique has proven to be an effective method to treat genetic diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It may also be used to treat certain allergic diseases. In sum, using exon skipping to suppress IgE antibody receptor represents a way to treat IgE-mediated allergic disorders. IgE antibody and other bio-products like Recombinant ITGB7 can be offered by CusAb.
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