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The Role of Histamine H4 Receptor in Asthma and Atopic Dermatitis

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Histamine Receptors

Part of the book series: The Receptors ((REC,volume 28))

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Abstract

Histamine acts through four different receptors and ligands for two of these receptors have been used in clinical practice for many decades. Efficacy of drugs that target the histamine H1 receptor in allergic disease such as urticaria, allergic rhinitis and allergic conjunctivitis has provided a rationale for the association of histamine with allergy. However, these drugs are not efficacious in other diseases thought to be allergic in nature such as asthma and atopic dermatitis. Recent preclinical and clinical data has shown a role for histamine H4 receptor antagonists in these diseases. Histamine H4 receptor antagonists are efficacious in preclinical models of asthma, atopic dermatitis and pruritus. One histamine H4 receptor antagonists, JNJ 39758979, has shown clinical efficacy in reducing histamine-induced pruritus and in improving the skin lesions and pruritus in patients with atopic dermatitis. Therefore, the histamine H4 receptor may play a role in diseases such as asthma and atopic dermatitis, which have long since been believed not to be mediated by histamine due to lack of efficacy of traditional antihistamines.

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  1. Department of Immunology, Janssen Research & Development, LLC, 3210 Merryfield Row, San Diego, CA, 92107, USA

    Robin L. Thurmond Ph.D.

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  1. Robin L. Thurmond Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Robin L. Thurmond Ph.D. .

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  1. Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Psicologia, Area del Farmaco e Salute del Bambino (NEUROFARBA) – Sezione di Farmacologia e Tossicologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy

    Patrizio Blandina

  2. Dipartimento di Scienze della Salute – Sezione di Farmacologia Clinica e Oncologia, Università degli Studi di Firenze, Florence, Italy

    Maria Beatrice Passani

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Thurmond, R.L. (2016). The Role of Histamine H4 Receptor in Asthma and Atopic Dermatitis. In: Blandina, P., Passani, M. (eds) Histamine Receptors. The Receptors, vol 28. Humana, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-40308-3_3

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