There is a new class of immunotherapy drugs that might work for people with severe asthma.
The drugs are known as jakinibs because of their effect on the JAK1. The immune response of the body can be affected by thisProtein, which can lead to inflammation.
In cases of asthma, the JAK1 can cause a storm in the lung, leading to life-threatening inflammation.
Researchers at Trinity University in Ireland have shown that it is possible to suppress the immune response with the help of a drug.
It is worth investigating further if this can reduce asthmatic symptoms outside the lab.
The current study uses the JAK1 inhibitor on both humans and animal cells.
The molecule itaconate is produced by our bodies and is known to modify the behavior of white blood cells. The latest study shows how itaconate and 4-OI shuts down the JAK1Protein so it can't cause a storm of circulating cytokines.
A molecule called 4-OI, which is based on itaconate, was able to suppress severe asthma in a model of the disease which doesn't respond to anti- inflammatory steroids.
There is a pressing need for new treatments for severe asthma, and we have high hopes that new medicines based on Itaconate could be a new approach.
This isn't the first time that jakinibs like 4-OI have been proposed as an avenue for asthma treatment.
A growing body of data supports the idea that suppressing the JAK1 can reduce airway inflammation.
In a double-blinded placebo-controlled trial, an inhaled jakinib was found to reduce symptoms among those with mild asthma.
The first generation of jakinibs is still not perfect, but drugmakers are learning to make the medicine more specific and effective for conditions like arthritis.
Their next frontier could be asthma.
The study was published in a journal.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
