Dupilumab: Basic aspects and applications to allergic diseases

Abstract

Interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13, signature type 2 cytokines, exert their actions by binding to two types of receptors sharing the IL-4R α chain (IL-4Rα). Since IL-4 and IL-13 play important and redundant roles in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases, blocking both the IL-4 and IL-13 signals would be a powerful and effective strategy for treating allergic diseases. Dupilumab (Dupixent®) is a fully human monoclonal antibody recognizing IL-4Rα and blocking both the IL-4 and IL-13 signals. Dupilumab was first prescribed for atopic dermatitis (AD) patients and has been widely approved for adult patients with moderate to severe AD since 2018. Dupilumab has since been used for asthma, receiving approval for uncontrolled asthma in 2019. A phase 3 study using dupilumab for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) has been just completed, with positive results. Several clinical trials of dupilumab for other diseases in which type 2 inflammation is dominant are now underway. It is hoped that dupilumab will open the door to a new era for treating allergic patients with AD, asthma, and CRSwNP, and for more patients with type 2 inflammations.

Keywords: Asthma; Atopic dermatitis; Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps; Interleukin-13; Interleukin-4.