Abstract
Allergic asthma is becoming increasingly prevalent in the developed world, and many common allergens are capable of inducing allergic asthma responses, particularly in atopic individuals. Unmethylated CpG-oligonucleotide (ODN) therapy can shift the immune response to mitigate these allergic responses. Therapeutic and prophylactic delivery of soluble CpG-ODN in preclinical studies has shown promise in treating existing asthma and preventing allergic responses upon subsequent allergen exposure, respectively. However, when CpG-ODN is coupled with nanoparticles or self assembled into nanostructures, improved efficacy of CpG-ODN treatment for several common allergens is observed in preclinical studies and clinical trials. Here we discuss the role of CpG-ODN in treating allergic asthma and how nanoparticle-based delivery can further enhance its therapeutic properties.