Korean J Med.
2012 Aug;83(2):190-196.
Novel Drugs for Asthma Treatment: Immunomodulatory Therapy
- Affiliations
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- 1Division of Respiratory and Allergy, Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University School of Medicine, Bucheon, Korea. junehyuk@schmc.ac.kr
Abstract
- The management of asthma focuses on the reduction of airway inflammation accompany with symptomatic care after recognition. Glucocorticosteroid is the most important drug to reduce airway inflammation, and it has been used inhaled, orally and systemically. New knowledge about the pathogenesis of allergy and asthma has made the development and clinical trial of target or immunomodulator therapy. It includes cytokine, cytokine blockers, specific cytokine receptor blocker, and immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotides. These agents are thought to hold the promise for more beneficial outcomes in the future, although it showed limited therapeutic benefits only for patients, especially intractable or severe asthma, until now.
