T Cell Effector and Regulatory Mechanisms in Asthma — MGH-001  

Asthma Clinical Trial

Official title: T Cell Effector and Regulatory Mechanisms in Asthma

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The specific hypothesis for this study is that there are fundamental differences in T effector and T regulatory cell responses in the lung to allergens in allergic asthma (AA) when compared to allergic nonasthmatics (ANA) that account for the difference in clinical responses. We will address this by comparing T cell responses in AA versus ANA subjects. These experiments will correlate T cell responses with measures of airway physiology using state-of-the art lung imaging and examine mechanisms controlling T cell activation in the airways of AA and the function of airway T regulatory cells during AA.

Clinical Trial Description

Despite advances in medications, allergic diseases, including allergic asthma, continue to rise in prevalence. For this reason, there is a need for a better understanding of the mechanisms of allergic diseases and novel insights into modulating allergic inflammation. CD4+ Th2-type lymphocytes seems to be central to the pathogenesis of allergic disease, as the levels of these cells and Th2 cytokines (IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13) are elevated in the airways of allergic asthma patients. The unifying hypothesis of this project is that understanding the mechanisms that determine the critical balance of effector and regulatory allergen-specific T cell activity in asthma will lead to new approaches for inducing allergen-specific tolerance and new therapeutic strategies for asthma. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Allergies
• Asthma

• NCT number: NCT01612936
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Massachusetts General Hospital
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1
• Start date: September 2012
• Completion date: September 2016