Inhibition of non-receptor tyrosine kinase LCK partially mitigates mixed granulocytic airway inflammation in a murine model of asthma.

Asthma affects millions of people worldwide and is one of the most common inflammatory airway diseases. Asthma phenotypes are quite complex and categorized as eosinophilic, mixed granulocytic (presence of both eosinophils and neutrophils in the airways) and neutrophilic. Mixed granulocytic asthma requires large doses of inhaled corticosteroids, which are often insufficient in controlling airway inflammation. Therefore, there is a medical need to test newer therapies to control granulocytic inflammation. Lymphocyte specific protein tyrosine kinase (LCK) signaling has gained momentum in recent years as a molecular target in inflammatory diseases such as asthma. LCK is expressed in lymphocytes and is required for inflammatory intracellular signaling in response to antigenic stimulation. Therefore, efficacy of LCK inhibitor, A770041 was tested in cockroach (CE)-induced corticosteroid insensitive murine model of asthma. The effect of LCK inhibitor was investigated on granulocytic airway inflammation, mucus production, p-LCK and downstream signaling molecules such as p-PLCγ, GATA3, p-STAT3 in CD4+ T cells. Moreover, its effects were also studied on Th2/Th17 related cytokines and oxidative stress parameters (iNOS/nitrotyrosine) in neutrophils/macrophages. Our study shows that CE-induced p-LCK levels are concomitant with increased neutrophilic/eosinophilic inflammation and mucus hypersecretion which are significantly mitigated by A770041 treatment. A770041 also caused marked attenuation of CE-induced pulmonary levels of IL-17A levels but not completely. However, A770041 in combination with dexamethasone caused complete downregulation of mixed granulocytic airway inflammation as well as Th2/Th17 related immune responses. These results suggest that combination of LCK inhibition along with corticosteroids may be pursued as an alternative strategy to completely treat mixed granulocytic asthma.