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A team of Korean scientists claim they have developed a new way of treating treat asthma and arthritis.
The new drug is called FHT-CT4. What it essentially does is suppress overactive "T-cellsĦħ -- the immune cells that normally help detect and attack viruses or bacteria that have entered our bodies. But when they are not working properly, they become overactive, triggering an immune response against the body's own cells and tissues. This causes diseases like asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and atopic dermatitis.
The team led by Prof. Lee Sang-gyu of the Department of Biological Engineering at Yonsei University say they have created a new drug by combining two kinds of proteins, one that keeps the body from responding to itself, and another that will effectively transfer that protein around the body.
"The new drug not only singles out and suppresses the T-cells, but it can be applied just to the affected areas. For instance, for asthma, it will have an effect on the airways and for atopic dermatitis on the skin," the team said.
Tests on mice, they say, have proven the medication to be very effective and almost non-toxic. For instance, an experiment on an asthmatic mouse spraying on the mouse's airways with 1/1,000 of the dose of existing chemical-based medications had the same effect and lasted for five days. Next year, the team plans to begin clinical tests.
Arirang News
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