Role of human IgE and FceRI in asthma and its potentiation by obesity – AsthmAb

Asthma is the most common chronic lung disease affecting 300 million people worldwide. Obesity is an important risk factor for asthma, but the underlying mechanisms through which obesity potentiates asthma remain poorly understood. The anti-IgE therapeutic antibody omalizumab is efficient in many patients with moderate-to-severe asthma. Yet, which asthma features are actually IgE-dependent, and which mechanisms are at play remain poorly delineated. Moreover, use of omalizumab is limited by high cost and the need to perform lifelong reinfusion to maintain clinical efficiency. Therefore, alternative strategies to generate long-term effects in asthma are required. The objectives of the ‘AsthmAb’ project are to 1) understand which asthma features are regulated by IgE, 2) determine if IgE plays a role in asthma potentiation by obesity, 3) understand the characteristics of the IgE repertoire in obese and non-obese asthma subjects, and 4) propose a new strategy to target IgE in asthma.