Clinical Pharmacology & Biopharmaceutics
Open Access

Abstract

Asthma is a common chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways. It is clinically characterized by bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR), reversible airflow limitation and recurrent episodes of wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and cough. Asthma is in fact a complex syndrome with many clinical and inflammatory phenotypes. A great advancement in asthma treatment occurred in the first decade of the ongoing century with the advent of the so called biological treatments, that is those treatments that try to block the proteins or molecules originated in cells that in turn will trigger or modulate asthma cascade. When the purpose is to block intracellular proteins we call it anti-sense therapy since that attempt is made by the administration of molecules that are short, single-stranded nucleic acids complementary to target messenger RNA (mRNA), which bind to receptor mRNA with levels of affinity and avidity that can far surpass that shown by traditional drugs targeting protein receptors. When we plan to block blood circulating, cell or tissue mediators, we use the so called monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). MAbs represent a form of immunotherapy using passive immunity where preformed antibodies against a target antigen are injected into the body. Because of their specificity, mAbs can efficiently target an antigen on a cell of interest or in the serum and block the binding of cytokines, immunoglobulins, hormones or proteins that promote certain unwanted functions including inflammatory and immune responses. Ultimately, both methods can attenuate the expression of disease-associated genes. During this session the mechanisms of action as well as the most relevant mAbs already marketed or in advanced state of development for asthma treatment will be reviewed.

Biography

Christian Domingo is Consultant of Pulmonary Medicine at the Hospital de Sabadell (Corporaci? Parc Taul?, Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain), Professor of Medicine at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Professor of the Department of Anatomy and Physiology of the International University of Catalonia until 2010 and Professor of the Master in Health Economy of the University of Malaga. Dr. Christian Domingo is also Advisor to the Gerson Lehrman Group and Genatics Group. He is a regular reviewer as well as member of the editorial board of international medical journals and the Editor-in-Chief of ?The Open Respiratory Medicine Journal?. Christian Domingo studied at the Lyc?e Fran?ais of Barcelona and later on received his Medical Degree (M.D.) from the Universitat Aut?noma in Barcelona, Spain in 1984. After taking the national board, he was admitted in the Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol of Badalona (Barcelona) where he completed his Residency in Pulmonary Medicine from 1986-1989. He was also trained at the Cardio-Pulmonary Transplantation Unit of the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas (USA) and l?Unit? de Soins Intensifs in Lyon (France). Later on, he worked as a staff member of the Intensive Care UnIt at the Hospital Germans Trias I Pujol for three years, until 1992 when he became the staff member of the Pulmonary Service of the Corporaci? Parc Taul?. In addition to memberships and awards for his accomplishments in lung research, Dr. Christian Domingo has obtained more than 500,000 dollars in grants. He is also the director of several doctoral thesis of pulmonologists, internists and pediatricians and has published more than 90 papers. During the past 20 years his research has focused mainly in severe asthma and COPD, especially in new treatments.