Creating new treatments for allergic asthma

Summary

Professor Brian Sutton is a world leader in the study of Immunoglobulin E (IgE) – an antibody molecule produced by cells of our immune system and known to be crucially important in asthma.

The importance of IgE has recently been emphasised by the success of Xolair (also called omalizumab), a new treatment for allergic asthma that targets the IgE molecule.

With the support of Asthma UK, Professor Sutton and his colleagues at the MRC-Asthma UK Centre in Allergic Mechanisms of Asthma at King’s College London aim to develop new treatments that target IgE, which could potentially benefit thousands of people with allergic asthma.

Thanks to funding from Asthma UK, Professor Sutton’s research team has recently completed a series of studies to discover the precise shape of IgE as it binds to cells of the immune system and triggers asthma symptoms.

Using this knowledge, they aim to use computer models and laboratory experiments to create and refine small chemical compounds that can interfere with this interaction.

By partnering with an appropriate company, Professor Sutton will ensure that this work is taken forwards to create new asthma treatments as quickly as possible.