Traditional antihistamines that antagonize the histamine H1 receptor have long been used to treat allergic inflammatory conditions, but so far have proved largely ineffective in other disorders exhibiting elevated histamine levels, including asthma and pruritus. This Review discusses how the identification and understanding of the roles of the histamine H4 receptor has revealed the potential of targeting H4 receptors or combined H1 and H4receptor blockade to treat such disorders.
- Robin L. Thurmond
- Erwin W. Gelfand
- Paul J. Dunford
