OGG1 inhibitor TH5487 alleviates allergic airway inflammation in mice

Allergic asthma is a complex disease characterized by dyspnea, coughing, chest tightness and airway remodeling, for which there is no cure and is symptomatically treated with inhaled β2-agonist and/or corticosteroids. Molecular mechanisms underlying its complex pathogenesis are not fully understood. However, the 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase-1 (OGG1), a DNA repair protein may play a central role, as OGG1 deficiency decreases both innate and allergic inflammatory responses. In this study, administration of TH5487 to mice with OVA-induced allergic airway inflammation significantly decreased goblet cell hyperplasia and mucus production. TH5487 treatment also decreased levels of activated NF-κB and expression of proinflammatory cytokines resulting in significantly lower recruitment of eosinophils and other immune cells to the lungs. Gene expression profiling of asthma and allergy-related proteins after TH5487 treatment revealed down regulation of Arg1, Mcp1 and Ccl11, and upregulation of the negative regulator of TH2, Bcl6. In addition, the OVA-induced airway hyperresponsiveness was significantly reduced by TH5487 treatment. Taken together, the data presented in this study suggest a clinically relevant utilization of TH5487 for the treatment of allergic inflammation.