Modification of dendritic cell function as a tool to prevent and treat allergic asthma

Atopic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways, characterized by airway hyperreactivity and mucus hypersecretion that result in intermittent airway obstruction. This chronic inflammation is the result of an aberrant Th2-mediated response to innocuous environmental proteins. The prevalence of this disease has increased dramatically in the industrialized world in the last decades. Current treatment is mainly based on pharmacological interventions, which control the disease but are not curative. Although the etiology is not completely understood, it becomes increasingly clear that dendritic cells play an important role in both the sensitization phase and maintenance of the disease. In this review, we explore the different possibilities to exploit dendritic cell vaccines in order to prevent the development of (or inhibit established) atopic asthma.