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A new study has shown that two key inflammatory mediators of chronic inflammatory disease can be effectively suppressed by a new drug.
The announcement was made by Resolvyx Pharmaceuticals, which tested resolvin E1 (RvE1) for its potential regulatory effects in treating asthma.
Its findings, published in the journal Nature Immunology, show that RvE1 potently suppresses IL-23 and IL-17, which are critical in regulating airway inflammation in chronic asthma.
Dr Bruce Levy, lead author of the study, said: “As the IL-23/IL-17 pathway has been increasingly linked to chronic inflammation, tissue remodelling, pathological neovascularisation and bone loss, these results have implications for the therapeutic potential of resolvins in a range of human diseases.”
The research team evaluated RvE1 in a well established mouse model of asthma and showed that, when administered at the peak of inflammation, it significantly suppressed airway inflammation and prevented lung hyperreactivity.
The levels of IL-17 and IL-23 were reduced by 70% and 60%, respectively, contributing to a greater than 80% reduction in infiltrating leukocytes including eosinophils, which are a major driver of the allergic airway hyper-responsiveness.
Resolvins are potential drug candidates to treat a broad range of acute and chronic diseases including inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis and other diseases.
Copyright PA Business 2008
