049 Dual inhibition of the complement factor C5 and leukotriene B4by the bifunctional soft tick-derived lipocalin Coversin synergizes in suppressing disease in a murine model of bullous pemphigoid-like epidermolysis bullosa acquisita

The treatment of autoimmune diseases still relies on immunosuppression and is associated with severe side-effects. The development of drugs abrogating pathogenic pathways more specifically is, therefore, most desirable. In nature, such specificity is exemplified, e.g., by the soft-tick-derived lipocalin Coversin, which locally suppresses immune responses by simultaneously inhibiting the complement factor C5 and leukotriene B4 (LTB4). C5a, a proteolytic fragment of C5, and LTB4have been highlighted as critical drivers of skin inflammation in pemphigoid diseases (PDs), a group of autoimmune blistering skin diseases.
Source: Journal of Investigative Dermatology - Category: Dermatology Authors: Tags: Adaptive and Auto-Immunity Source Type: research