This vaccine, developed by Inserm, could relieve patients with severe allergic asthma and soothe their symptoms. Explanations.
By Johanna Amselem
© SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / R3F / Science Photo Library via AFP
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Dtwo million patients could have their lives changed. In France, four million people are affected by asthma and, in half of the cases, they suffer from allergic asthma. For these patients, attacks are triggered by the inhalation of allergens, most commonly house dust mites. In order to fight against allergic asthma, scientists from Inserm, CNRS and Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier University within the Infinity laboratory of the Institut Pasteur and the French company NEOVACS have developed a new vaccine. . The findings were published in the scientific journal allergy.
In allergic asthma, exposure to dust mites triggers an overproduction of antibodies called immunoglobulin E (IgE) and proteins called “type 2 cytokines” in the airways. “This phenomenon leads to a cascade of reactions resulting in hyper-reactivity of the airways, overproduction of mucus and eosinophilia. [un taux trop élevé de globules blancs appelés éosinophiles dans les voies aériennes] “, Details Inserm in a press release. If, currently, inhaled corticosteroids make it possible to control asthma, they are not sufficient for a severe allergy. These patients are then treated with therapeutic monoclonal antibodies targeting IgE or the IL-4 and IL-13 pathways.
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A reduction in symptoms
But these drugs are restrictive, and this discovery could benefit these severe allergies. Indeed, researchers have been working for several years to offer them other alternatives. To assess the effectiveness of this vaccine, it was tested on a model of allergic asthma to house dust mites in so-called “humanized” mice. That is, rodent genes have been replaced by human genes. “A vaccination against allergic asthma represents a hope for long-term treatment of this chronic disease, and, beyond that, a prospect of reducing allergy symptoms linked to other factors, since this vaccine targets molecules involved in different allergies”, underlines Pierre Bruhns, head of the Antibody Unit in Therapy and Pathology at the Institut Pasteur, in the Inserm press release.
What are the results of this study? “Vaccination induced a significant antibody response, capable of neutralizing human IL-4 and IL-13 cytokines, without decreasing vaccine efficacy, up to more than three months after injection. [temps correspondant à la durée totale de cette étude] », Details Inserm. The researchers also noticed a significant effect on the symptoms of asthma with a reduction in the production of mucus and hyperreactivity of the respiratory tract thanks to the Kinoid® vaccine.
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“This study provides proof of concept of the efficacy of the vaccine in neutralizing human proteins that play a key role in allergic asthma. We are thus paving the way a little further for the organization of clinical trials. We are currently discussing with all the project partners to set up these studies in humans”, explains Laurent Reber, Inserm Infinity research director (Inserm/CNRS/Toulouse III-Paul Sabatier University). Finally, this vaccine could also be of interest in the case of a food allergy or atopic dermatitis.