Inhibitors of dimerized translationally controlled tumor protein, a histamine releasing factor, may serve as anti-allergic drug candidates

It has been established that translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP), also called histamine releasing factor (HRF), exhibits cytokine-like activities associated with initiation of allergic responses only after forming dimers (dTCTP). Agents that inhibit dTCTP by preventing its dimerization or otherwise block its function, also block development of allergic reactions, thereby serving as potential drugs to treat allergic diseases. Several lines of evidence have proven that peptides and antibodies that specifically inhibit the interactions between dTCTP and either its putative receptor or immunoglobulins exhibit significant in vivo efficacy as potential anti-inflammatory agents in murine models of allergic inflammatory diseases. This review highlights the development of several inhibitors targeting dTCTP and discusses how they affect the pathophysiological processes of allergic and inflammatory diseases in several animal models and offers new perspectives on anti-allergic drug discovery. (c) 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Automated summary

It has been discovered that translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) exhibits cytokine-like activities associated with allergic responses after forming dimers (dTCTP). Inhibitors targeting dTCTP can block the development of allergic reactions and serve as potential drugs for allergic diseases. Peptides and antibodies that specifically inhibit the interactions between dTCTP and its receptor or immunoglobulins show significant efficacy as anti-inflammatory agents in murine models of allergic inflammatory diseases. This review focuses on the development of dTCTP inhibitors and discusses their effects on the pathophysiological processes of allergic and inflammatory diseases in animal models, providing new perspectives on anti-allergic drug discovery.