{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) is a critical regulator of inflammatory signalling through toll-like receptors 4 and 7/8 in murine and human lungs.
{Author}: Sayers I;Thakker D;Billington C;Kreideweiss S;Grundl MA;Bouyssou T;Thamm S;Kreuz S;Hall IP;
{Journal}: Br J Pharmacol
{Volume}: 0
{Issue}: 0
{Year}: 2024 Aug 13
{Factor}: 9.473
{DOI}: 10.1111/bph.16509
{Abstract}: OBJECTIVE: Toll-like receptors 4 (TLR4) and TLR7/TLR8 play an important role in mediating the inflammatory effects of bacterial and viral pathogens. Interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4 (IRAK4) is an important regulator of signalling by toll-like receptor (TLR) and hence is a potential therapeutic target in diseases characterized by increased lung inflammatory signalling.
METHODS: We used an established murine model of acute lung inflammation, and studied human lung tissue ex vivo, to investigate the effects of inhibiting IRAK4 on lung inflammatory pathways.
RESULTS: We show that TLR4 stimulation produces an inflammatory response characterized by neutrophil influx and tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production in murine lungs and that these responses are markedly reduced in IRAK4 kinase-dead mice. In addition, we characterize a novel selective IRAK4 inhibitor, BI1543673, and show that this compound can reduce lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced airway inflammation in wild-type mice. Additionally, BI1543673 reduced inflammatory responses to both TLR4 and TLR7/8 stimulation in human lung tissue studied ex vivo.
CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate a key role for IRAK4 signalling in lung inflammation and suggest that IRAK4 inhibition has potential utility to treat lung diseases characterized by inflammatory responses driven through TLR4 and TLR7/8.