title: Tick histamine-binding proteins and related lipocalins: potential as therapeutic agents.
abstract: Tick histamine-binding proteins bind histamine with high affinity and specificity. This is attained by a novel binding mechanism, whereby histamine is sequestered within a binding cavity of the lipocalin fold. The histamine binding proteins and related protein family members are currently under investigation as potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of various diseases, including conjunctivitis, allergic rhinitis, carcinoid syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis. While these proteins show great therapeutic potential, they are part of a diverse family of tick lipocalin proteins, some of which have been implicated in tick-host rejection and host pathogenesis. As such, the therapeutic mining of tick lipocalins should be considered within the framework of the rest of the family.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institutes of Health (NIH/NIAID), 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Building Twinbrook III, Room 2E-28, Rockville, MD 20852, USA. bmans@niaid.nih.gov
authors.forename: Ben J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Mans
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D006632:Histamine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D019476:Insect Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008303:Malignant Carcinoid Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013987:Ticks
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D019476:Insect Proteins; D012471:Salivary Proteins and Peptides; D006632:Histamine