Role of the histamine H4-receptor in bronchial asthma

Abstract

Histamine is a pro-inflammatory mediator with a prominent role in allergic diseases. Antagonists at the histamine receptor subtype 1 are central in antiallergic therapies, with the exception of allergic asthma, where they are clinically without effect. The latest identified histamine receptor subtype 4, which is expressed mainly in hematopoietic cells, now provides a reasonable target for new therapeutic strategies inhibiting histamine function. The pathophysiology of allergy, esp. allergic asthma, and in its context the effects of antagonists at the histamine receptor subtype 4 in preclinical and clinical settings are discussed in this chapter.