IL-17A and IL-25: therapeutic targets for allergic and exacerbated asthmatic disease.

The development of drugs targeting IL-17 family members IL-17A and IL-25 may inhibit the development of multiple components of allergic airway disease, including mucus hypersecretion, airway hypertrophy and the influx of granulocytic effector populations due to the reduction of key chemokines. It is the accumulation of these inflammatory cells that 'primes' the pulmonary environment for an exacerbated response to ubiquitous environmental allergens. Therefore, inhibiting their recruitment may reduce the incidence of severe exacerbations in asthmatic individuals.