Table 1.
Main characteristics of biologics for asthma
| Cytokine or receptor | Production | Receptor | Effect on T-cells |
Effect on B-cells |
Other effects |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interleukin 4 (IL-4) |
Th2 cells | IL-4 R type 1 IL-4 R type 2 |
Promotes differentiation of Th2 | IgE switch | Differentiation of macrophages into M2 cells which produce IL-10 and TGF-β |
| Interleukin 5 (IL-5) |
Th2, CD8 + T cells and mast cells | Heterodimeric (specific IL-5Rα subunit and β subunit, found also in GM-CSF and IL-3R) | Promotes B cell growth and IgA secretion | Eosinophil-colony stimulating factor, it also promotes eosinophil activation and survival | |
| Interleukin 9 (IL-9) |
Mostly Th9 cells mast cells, but also NK cells, Th2, Th17, Treg and ILC2 | Complex receptor (IL9-R and IL-2Rγ subunit) | Promotes growth and proliferation of T cells | In the presence of IL-4 promotes IgE switch and IgE and IgG1 release | Proliferative effect on goblet cells and other mucin producing cells in the airways; enhances airway hyper responsiveness |
| Interleukin 13 (IL-13) |
Th2, CD8 + T cells and mast cells | IL-4R type 2 IL-13Rα2 |
IgE switch (minor effect than IL-4) | Goblet cell differentiation, production of inducible nitric oxide, activation of macrophages, increase in permeability of epithelial cells, transformation of airway fibroblasts in myofibroblasts | |
| Interleukin 17 family | Th17 cells, mast cells, basophils | IL-17 R, an heteromeric complex consisting of at least IL17RA and IL17RC. Depending on the third subunit, it binds with different affinity various members of the IL-17 family. |
Induces production of cytokines, chemokines and prostaglandins from epithelial and endothelial cells, keratinocytes, fibroblast and macrophages | ||
| Interleukin 25 (IL-25) |
T cells, dendritic cell, macrophages | Heterodimeric (IL-17RA and IL-17RB) | Induces production of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 and decreases the production of IFNγ on Th cells | Activation of ILC2 | |
| Interleukin 33 (IL-33) |
Fibroblasts, mast cells, dendritic cells | IL-1RL1 | Induces production of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 on Th2 cells | Promotes survival and IL-5 production | |
| Thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) | Fibroblasts, epitelial and stromal-like cells | Heterodimeric (CRLF2 and IL-7Rα) | Activates Langerhans cells in the epidermis and induce the production of TNF-α, induces the production of Th2 cytokines in APCs |