FAU Erlangen: suppressing basophils in mice with eczema weakened allergen-induced lung inflammation
In mice with atopic dermatitis symptoms, short-term suppression of basophil formation reduced lung hypersensitivity to an allergen. The authors link these cells to the step from eczema to asthma.
Researchers at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) have reported that basophils, a type of immune cell, connect skin allergy to hypersensitivity of the lungs in mice. The work was published in Frontiers in Immunology, and the university's release was distributed via EurekAlert on 10 November 2026 eurekalert.org
EurekAlerteurekalert.orgOpen source ↗. A separate review article by the same team discusses what the findings may mean for asthma prevention.
Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is one of the most common skin diseases and usually begins in infancy or early childhood. Its cause is not fully understood, but allergens from animal hair, house dust or pollen can trigger flare-ups. Children with eczema often later develop allergic asthma or food allergies, a sequence known in medicine as the atopic march. What causes allergic sensitization to spread to other organs is not yet fully understood, according to the study head Dr. Daniel Radtke.
Basophils in the skin and the lungs
Basophils are produced by stem cells in the bone marrow and normally circulate in the blood. When the skin is irritated, they cross the blood vessel wall, migrate into the affected tissue and release signaling molecules that activate other immune cells, producing inflammation.
The team applied an allergen to the skin of mice with atopic dermatitis symptoms and simultaneously suppressed basophil formation for a short period. When the animals later inhaled the same allergen, their lungs showed only a weak inflammatory response. In a control group without suppression, the response was markedly stronger, similar to a severe asthma attack, the authors report eurekalert.org
EurekAlerteurekalert.orgOpen source ↗.
Open questions and possible directions
The researchers state that the communication pathway between skin and lungs is still unknown. The signaling molecule interleukin-4, which basophils release in large amounts when activated by an allergen and which amplifies the immune response, may play an important role. Components of this response could reach the airways through the bloodstream and put the local immune system or bronchial lining cells on heightened alert.
In the review, the authors suggest the findings could inform new preventive strategies. Prof. Dr. David Vöhringer notes that prolonged or very strong basophil activation could significantly increase asthma risk, and that allergic skin reactions in early childhood should be treated quickly and effectively. Drugs that reduce interleukin-4 production by basophils are being developed and tested, primarily to relieve the skin condition and itching. Whether they could also lower the later risk of asthma remains to be seen, according to Vöhringer.
