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Targeted Therapy for Severe Asthma: Identifying the Right Patients
Kathy Low1, Philip G Bardin2,3
1Lung and Sleep Medicine, Monash University and Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, 3168, Australia.
Molecular Diagnosis & Therapy
|January 4, 2017
Summary
Severe asthma impacts millions globally. New biological treatments show promise, but identifying the right patients using biomarkers like blood eosinophil counts is crucial for effective disease control.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Immunology
- Biomarker Research
Background:
- Asthma affects over 300 million people worldwide, with a significant subset experiencing poor control despite standard therapies.
- Uncontrolled severe asthma poses a substantial healthcare burden due to frequent exacerbations and hospitalizations.
- Existing treatments, including inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting beta-agonists, are insufficient for all patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current biological agents for severe asthma treatment.
- To explore the heterogeneity of severe asthma and identify patient subgroups.
- To discuss the role of biomarkers in predicting response to biological therapies.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent advancements in severe asthma biologics and biomarkers.
- Analysis of treatment responses in different patient phenotypes.
- Examination of the utility of specific biomarkers, such as immunoglobulin E (IgE) and blood eosinophil counts.
Main Results:
- Biological therapies targeting pathways like immunoglobulin E (IgE) have shown modest benefits in specific patient subgroups.
- Treatments focused on T helper-2 (Th2) high pathways and cytokines (IL-5, IL-4, IL-13) are effective in overlapping subgroups.
- Blood eosinophil counts (≥300 cells/μl) serve as a reliable biomarker for identifying responders to certain biological treatments.
Conclusions:
- Severe asthma is a heterogeneous condition requiring personalized treatment approaches.
- Biomarkers are essential for identifying patients likely to benefit from targeted biological therapies.
- Ongoing research focuses on discovering and validating new biomarkers to refine treatment selection for severe asthma.
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