TLR4 signaling in allergic asthma

Baylor College of Medicine researchers have uncovered a pathway in allergic asthma that opens up the potential for developing therapeutics that target the causes of the disease rather than just its symptoms.¹ The team now has to show that the pathway, which involves degradation of the blood clotting protein fibrinogen by fungal allergens to cleavage products that activate toll-like receptor 4, also applies to other allergens.

Allergic asthma involves a magnified immune response to airway allergens that results in airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation and constriction. Standard of care includes corticosteroids for general immune suppression and a combination of short- and long-acting bronchodilators to relax the airway smooth muscles and decrease constriction...