Respiratory diseases, including allergies, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are a major public health burden worldwide.
The latest WHO statistics (2007) estimate that 300 million people worldwide have asthma, 210 million people have COPD, and millions of people are affected by allergies. Each year, 250,000 people die of asthma. The prevalence of these diseases is increasing, and there is a continued need for new and improved therapies.
This Focus issue of Nature Reviews Immunology highlights the latest advances in our understanding of the immune bases of these respiratory diseases and how this knowledge can be translated into effective treatment strategies.
The Focus articles on this page are free to registered users until 31 March 2008.
Research Highlights
Allergy and Asthma: Calling all TH2 cells
Lucy Bird
doi:10.1038/nri2285
Nature Reviews Immunology 8, 162
Allergy and Asthma: Regulation of TGF1 PINned down
Olive Leavy
doi:10.1038/nri2286
Nature Reviews Immunology 8, 164-165
Allergy and Asthma: What 'drives' IL-4 versus IL-13 signalling?
Kirsty Minton
doi:10.1038/nri2283
Nature Reviews Immunology 8, 166-167
Allergy and Asthma: Mother knows best
Olive Leavy
doi:10.1038/nri2277
Nature Reviews Immunology 8, 168
Reviews
Discovering susceptibility genes for asthma and allergy
Donata Vercelli
doi:10.1038/nri2257
Nature Reviews Immunology 8, 169-182
A number of susceptibility genes for asthma and allergy have been identified in recent years. Here, Donata Vercelli discusses these genes and reviews the techniques used by geneticists to identify them. She also highlights the outstanding challenges in the field.
Immunology of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Peter J. Barnes
doi:10.1038/nri2254
Nature Reviews Immunology 8, 183-192
Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease both involve chronic inflammation of the lungs. But Peter Barnes explains how the inflammatory mediators and cells involved differ between the two diseases and how this affects their responsiveness to corticosteroids and other anti-inflammatory therapies.
Dendritic cells and epithelial cells: linking innate and adaptive immunity in asthma
Hamida Hammad & Bart N. Lambrecht
doi:10.1038/nri2275
Nature Reviews Immunology 8, 193-204
In addition to providing a physical barrier, epithelial cells have a role in initiating and maintaining allergic responses to inhaled allergens. As discussed in this Review, epithelial cells can influence the polarization of lung dendritic cells and are themselves influenced by innate and adaptive immune responses during allergic inflammation.
IgE in allergy and asthma today
Hannah J. Gould & Brian J. Sutton
doi:10.1038/nri2273
Nature Reviews Immunology 8, 205-217
Recent advances in the structural determination of IgE and its receptors and associated molecules have provided insight into the functions and regulation of IgE. This is now helping to direct the design of new IgE-targeted therapies for asthma and allergy.
Treatment strategies for allergy and asthma
Stephen T. Holgate & Riccardo Polosa
doi:10.1038/nri2262
Nature Reviews Immunology 8, 218-230
Understanding the mechanisms of allergic inflammation is important for the improvement of current therapies and the development of novel therapies. This Review describes the current therapeutic strategies for allergy and asthma and highlights several innovative future strategies.