Eosinophil as a therapeutic target in allergic disease.

The eosinophil appears to be a key cell in the development of active symptoms in both allergic diseases and asthma. Its involvement in inflammation seems to be mediated in part by release of its mediators ECP, MBP, EPO, and EDN. Therefore, the eosinophil and its inflammatory mediators would make ideal targets for pharmacological manipulation. In designing therapeutics to modify eosinophil participation, it will be helpful to keep the pharmacologic regulation as eosinophil-specific as possible. In this way, The function of other granulocytes is not affected and the patient is still able to fight infections.