This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Mepolizumab is a high-affinity, specific, humanized monoclonal antibody to IL-5 which rapidly depletes eosinophils from the peripheral blood. This antibody has been administered to patients with several diseases, including asthma, and it is remarkably free of side-effects; the placebo and treatment groups are indistinguishable. Administration of mepolizumab to a few patients with hypereosinophilic syndrome (HES) has dramatically benefited them, and in one study this treatment may have lessened the underlying T helper 2 (Th2) predominance in patients with HES and eosinophilic dermatitis. A multicenter clinical trial of mepolizumab for the treatment of HES is underway to address three aims: 1. Determine if mepolizumab modulates the functions of T-cells, including differentiation and cytokine production 2. Test whether mepolizumab treatment suppresses eosinophil activation and expression of the IL-5 receptor on eosinophils of treated patients 3. Determine if mepolizumab reveals heterogeneity in HES not previously recognized
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