Interleukin-16 and peptide derivatives as immunomodulatory therapy in allergic lung disease

Frédéric F Little1, William W Cruikshank

  • 1Boston University School of Medicine, Pulmonary Center R-304, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, USA. flittle@lung.bumc.bu.edu

The therapeutic potential of interleukin (IL)-16 and derived peptides in allergic asthma is considered, focusing on key interactions with CD4 and associated chemokine receptors. IL-16 is a pleiotropic cytokine that has multiple effector functions with putative roles in varied T cell-mediated inflammatory diseases, such as asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and atopic dermatitis. Both in vitro and in vivo, IL-16 downregulates antigen-driven T cell activation, T helper 2 cytokine production and allergic airway inflammation. Peptides derived from the C-terminal bioactive portion of IL-16 offer advantages related to their retained immunomodulatory properties and absence of signalling in and chemoattraction to T cells.

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