Adhesion molecules as therapeutic targets.

This article focuses on the importance of cell-adhesion molecules in the process of allergic inflammation. After reviewing the contribution of different families of adhesion molecules to the cellular recruitment cascade, phenotypic characteristics of leukocyte subtypes are discussed to illustrate how expression of differing patterns of adhesion molecules and their counterligands within tissues influence the type of inflammatory response that occurs. The involvement of adhesion molecules in allergic inflammation in animal models and human studies is described. Examples of specific adhesion-molecule antagonists are provided, and results of their use in human studies of allergic and other inflammatory conditions are discussed.