Justine Tigno-Aranjuez, PhD

Current therapies for asthma largely focus on symptom management. There is still a need to understand the events that occur during the initiation of asthma in order to develop novel treatments which can change the disease course, rather than simply manage it. Because around half of people with asthma suffer from an allergic form of the disease, understanding how our body recognizes allergens may be important in trying to prevent an allergic asthmatic response from occurring. We have identified LMAN1 as a cell receptor for house dust mite, an important allergen linked to the development of allergic asthma. We will determine how recognition of house dust mites by LMAN1 influences the immune response against this allergen and whether or not the presence of this receptor affects the progression of allergic airway disease. If successful, this may provide support for future targeting of LMAN1 for treatment of allergic asthma.

Update:

Our research has discovered a novel role for LMAN1 as a cell surface receptor for house dust mite allergens. We have uncovered that LMAN1 binds house dust mite allergens to inhibit allergic inflammatory responses. We are currently trying to understand the mechanisms underlying the ability of LMAN1 to carry out these regulatory effects. Going forward, this information may help determine whether LMAN1 may be a suitable therapeutic target for allergic inflammatory diseases.