Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Biotech / Medical : Regeneron Pharmaceuticals -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: nigel bates who wrote (523)	4/26/2001 7:19:14 PM
From: Miljenko Zuanic	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3557

Experimental Allergic Asthma Responds to IL-13 Antiserum -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Apr 25 - Immunoneutralization of IL-13 produces significant therapeutic benefits in mice with allergic asthma induced by Aspergillus fumigatus, according to a report in the April 15th issue of the Journal of Immunology. Because IL-13 overexpression in mouse lung produces many of the features seen in clinical asthma, the authors explain, IL-13 might prove to be an attractive therapeutic target for chronic allergic asthma. Dr. Kate Blease from University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan and colleagues studied the effect of IL-13 neutralization with IL-13 antiserum on the features of A. fumigatus-induced allergic asthma in mice. IL-13 levels increased and remained elevated 30 days after A. fumigatus conidia challenge. Moreover, IL-13 receptor expression increased significantly within 7 days of conidia challenge, remained elevated at day 21, and returned to baseline levels by 30 days, the authors report. Airway hyperreactivity (AHR) accompanied the fungus-induced asthma, the report indicates, but IL-13 immunoneutralization between days 14 and 30 or between days 30 and 38 after conidia exposure significantly reduced AHR at day 38. IL-13 immunoneutralization also markedly inhibited collagen deposition, subepithelial fibrosis, and goblet cell hyperplasia, the researchers note. In contrast, IL-13 immunoneutralization did not alter cytokine release from restimulated spleen cells, suggesting, the investigators say, that IL-13 does not have important systemic immunomodulatory effects. These results suggest that IL-13 might, indeed, be a reasonable therapeutic target in allergic asthma. "We are interested in identifying other inhibitors of IL-13," Dr. Blease told Reuters Health. "In particular, targeting of the IL-13 receptor subunits may provide beneficial effects." "To neutralize IL-13 at extended time points after the establishment of disease, and indeed [to halt] the progression of subepithelial lung fibrosis and [inhibit] goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus production would be a major advance from the current therapeutic regimes available at present," Dr. Blease concluded. J Immunol 2001;166:5219-5224.