Lipid mediators and macrophages play key roles in type 2 inflammation, e.g. in allergic asthma. A team led by Julia Esser-von Bieren (shared first authors: Marta de los Reyes Jiménez and Antonie Lechner) could now show that an extract of the helminth H. polygyrus bakeri (Hpb) and its active component Hpb glutamate dehydrogenase can induce anti-inflammatory lipid mediators and regulate macrophage function. When the extract or recombinant Hpb glutamate dehydrogenase was applied to the airways of house dust mite sensitized mice, allergic airway inflammation was efficiently inhibited. In addition, the helminth products prevented the activation of inflammatory granulocytes from patients suffering from chronic type-2 airway inflammation. The researchers thus identify a potential new therapeutic protein for the treatment of chronic airway inflammation, e.g. in asthma:
https://stm.sciencemag.org/content/12/540/eaay0605
The study was also highlighted as a Research Highlight by Nature:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01176-0