title: Immunomodulation: the future cure for allergic diseases.
abstract: Allergies are the result of aberrant immune reactivity against common innocuous environmental proteins (allergens). A pivotal component of allergic pathogenesis is the generation of allergen-specific Th cells with an effector phenotype. These Th cells activate a complex immune cascade that triggers the release of potent mediators and enhances the mobilization of several inflammatory cells types, which in turn elicit the acute allergic reactions and promote the development of chronic inflammation. The current therapies for allergic diseases focus primarily on pharmacological control of symptoms and suppression of inflammation. This approach is beneficial, but not curative, since the underlying immune pathology is not inhibited. In an attempt to develop more effective therapeutic strategies, the scientific interest has been directed toward methods down-modulating the immune mechanisms that initiate and maintain the allergic cascade. Today, the only widely used disease-modifying form of allergy treatment is the specific immunotherapy with allergen extracts. More recently the use of anti-IgE has been approved for patients with allergic asthma. Other immunomodulatory methods being currently explored are the administration of microbial adjuvants that inhibit Th2 reactivity and the design of molecules that interrupt the activity of key allergic cytokines, chemokines, or other Th2 effector mediators.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Foundation of Biomedical Research of the Academy of Athens, 115 27 Athens, Greece. daphne_tsitoura@dr.com
authors.forename: Daphne C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Tsitoura
authors.forename: Yannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tassios
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000276:immunology; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000639:trends*; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors; D007073:Immunoglobulin E