IL-4 and IL-13: Their Pathological Roles in Allergic Diseases and their Potential in Developing New Therapies-Update

Bronchial asthma is a complex disease in which a lot of cells and mediators are involved. However, a substantial body of evidence has accumulated pointing to the pivotal role of Th2-cytokines, interleukin (IL)-4, and IL-13, based on expression of these cytokines in the bronchial lesions, genetic association of the signaling molecules of these cytokines, and analyses of mouse models. We previously reviewed the signal transduction of these cytokines, the correlation of these cytokines with the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, and trials to develop reagents targeting these cytokines. Since we published that article, several progresses have been made in this field, so in this article, we summarize the recent topics as for the issues that we picked up before.