title: Mucosal IFN-gamma gene transfer inhibits pulmonary allergic responses in mice.
abstract: Th2 cytokines are associated with the airway inflammation and hyperreactivity in allergic asthma and are potential targets for developing novel therapies. The efficacy of a mucosal cytokine-gene transfer approach was examined in a mouse model for allergic asthma. We showed first that mucosal IFN-gamma gene transfer results in a significant expression of IFN-gamma in the pulmonary epithelium. Significantly, this approach inhibits both Ag- and Th2-cell-induced pulmonary eosinophilia and airway hyperreactivity. These findings suggest that mucosal IFN-gamma gene transfer is effective in modulating pulmonary allergic responses and provides a basis for developing a novel therapeutic approach.
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Asthma and Allergy Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
authors.forename: X M
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.forename: T Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: B H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Schofield
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wills-Karp
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy; D001483:Base Sequence; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D003207:Conalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015870:Gene Expression; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006967:Hypersensitivity; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000235:genetics*; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008806:Mice, Inbred AKR; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D017931:DNA Primers; D003207:Conalbumin; D007371:Interferon-gamma