Inhibition of the IL-4 Pathway for Allergy Treatment

Currently, approximately 20% of the global population suffer from allergies, with predictions estimating a 70% rise in prevalence by the year 2050. With this expected increase in prevalence, new therapeutics are urgently required to combat this increase. The IL-4 signalling pathway is a major cytokine pathway that plays major roles in eczema, allergic asthma and allergic rhinitis, making it a prime target for therapeutic intervention. In 2015, a previous student of the NeuroAllergy Research Laboratory at Deakin University identified a novel peptide of 12 amino acids in length, named N1 peptide, which was capable of binding to the IL-4Rα receptor and displayed inhibitory effects. This study further developed the N1 peptide by evaluating its in vitro effects within a HEK293 cell line. Additionally, an ELISA immunoassay was also developed. At lower concentrations, the N1 peptide displayed up to 30% inhibition of the IL-4 pathway, however at higher concentrations, it enhanced the cytokine pathway and increased it’s response. Two hypotheses for this phenomenon are outlined, as well as future directions and studies for this N1 peptide.