Interleukin-4 receptor α (IL-4Rα), a shared receptor subunit for both IL-4 and IL-13, along with thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), are key drivers of the type 2 inflammatory cascade involved in asthma and other inflammatory disorders.
Nearly half of the world’s population suffers from allergic rhinitis, meaning that when they inhale allergens from the air, IgE becomes activated and induces paroxysmal sneezing, runny nose and nasal itching. Several types of drugs are currently used to manage the condition, including antihistamines, corticosteroids and antagonists of the leukotriene receptor; but some are associated with side effects.
Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA has divulged sodium channel protein type 9 subunit α (Nav1.7) channel blockers reported to be useful for the treatment of chronic cough.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease with limited therapeutic options and the development of new therapeutics is a clinical unmet need. Little is known about the role of endoplasmic reticulum stress and unfolded protein response seen in macrophages during pulmonary fibrosis.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is among the most leading causes of death around the world and there are insufficient treatment options that prevent exacerbations or alter the progression of the disease. COPD is a complex disease with multiple factors driving inflammation, emphysema or small airway remodeling, among others, where interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK-4) plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of the disease.
STAT6 plays a central role in regulating Th2-driven immune responses. Recent studies have identified gain-of-function mutations in the STAT6 gene that are associated with early-onset, severe allergic diseases. As a result, STAT6 has emerged as a promising therapeutic target in conditions such as asthma, eosinophilic inflammation, food allergies and atopic dermatitis, particularly in cases that are refractory to standard therapies.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a prevalent and heterogeneous respiratory disorder with limited effective treatments. IL-33 and IL-4Rα are key mediators of airway inflammation in COPD and hence represent potential therapeutic targets.
Atyr Pharma Inc. has advanced ATYR-0101 into IND-enabling studies for pulmonary fibrosis, and is targeting an IND application in the second half of next year.
The metabotropic nucleotide receptor P2Y14 shows strong potential as a therapeutic target against various inflammatory diseases, particularly acute lung injury, yet the small-molecule inhibitors described so far have performed poorly in preclinical studies.
BLR Bio LLC has announced new data on BLR-200, its lead compound for systemic sclerosis and lung fibrosis. In the new study, BLR-200 demonstrated the ability to reduce key disease tissue markers for fibrotic lung disease.