Therapy May Reverse Allergic Disease, Including Asthma
CINCINNATI -- A novel therapy under development as a treatment for allergic diseases may actually reverse an allergic response to asthma and ragweed pollen -- the most common source of allergic rhinitis -- according to a new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study.
The study, which was conducted in mice, "provides positive evidence that this substance has the potential to play a role in the treatment of human allergic disorders, including asthma," says Marsha Wills-Karp, PhD, director of Immunobiology at Cincinnati Children's and the study's lead author.
The study, published in the March issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, shows that the potential therapy was effective in reversing airway hyper-responsiveness, which is a hallmark of asthma. Previous studies of the substance had demonstrated its potential effectiveness in preventing allergic diseases.
The potential therapy was developed by Dynavax Technologies Corporation. It is based on ImmunoStimulatory Sequences (ISS), short sequences of DNA that enhance the ability of the immune system to mount an immune response to foreign organisms, thereby fighting disease and preventing inflammation.
In the study, mice were sensitized and challenged with ragweed pollen extract and then treated with ISS. One week after treatment, the mice were rechallenged with ragweed extract and airway responses were measured.
After sensitization, treatment with ISS significantly reduced asthma symptoms, including airway hyper-responsiveness, and eosinophilia (inflammatory cells) induced by the allergen, according to Dr. Wills-Karp.
The study was funded by Dynavax.
Contact Information
Jim Feuer,
jfeuer@chmcc.org, 513-636-4656
