Targeting airway smooth muscle in airways diseases: an old concept with new twists

Abstract

Airway smooth muscle (ASM) manifests a hyper-responsive phenotype in airway disorders such as asthma. ASM also modulates immune responses by secreting mediators and expressing cell-surface molecules that promote recruitment of inflammatory cells to the lungs. The aim of the current article is to highlight therapeutics that may modulate ASM responses in airway disorders and exacerbations.

Keywords::

• antibody therapy
• asthma
• bronchial thermoplasty
• exacerbation
• remodeling

Financial & competing interests disclosure

RA Panettieri Jr is supported by NIH funding grant numbers R01-HL097796, R01-HL077735 and NIEHS: P30-ES013508. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.