DNA therapy for asthma.

Asthma therapy, like other therapies, has been moving towards a molecular basis for several years. This year, there have been several preclinical studies published which utilize attributes or facets of DNA to address asthma therapeutics. These include antisense oligonucleotides (against the nuclear transcription factor GATA-3 and the mast cell chemotactic agent, stem cell factor), gene transfer (of interleukin-18, both by plasmid and viral vectors), and CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (which suppress Th2 and stimulate Th1 responses). No clinical experience has yet been reported for any of these areas of research in asthma, but clinical trials are ongoing utilizing CpG oligonucleotides.