title: Airway smooth muscle: new targets for asthma pharmacotherapy.
abstract: Asthma, a chronic disease increasing in prevalence worldwide, is characterised by reversible airway obstruction, airway inflammation and airway smooth muscle (ASM) cell hyperplasia. The traditional view of ASM in asthma, as a regulator of bronchomotor tone, is rapidly changing. New evidence suggests that ASM cells also play an important role in the perpetuation of airway inflammation and airway remodelling. This review discusses the synthetic function of ASM cells, defined as the ability to secrete cytokines, chemokines and growth factors and express surface receptors that are important for cell adhesion and leukocyte activation. Finally, the efficacy of established asthma therapies in modifying the synthetic function of ASM cells are compared and novel targets for pharmacological intervention are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, 852 BRB II/III, 421 Curie Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160, USA. alazaar@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Aili L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Lazaar
mesh_terms: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000187:drug effects; D018925:Chemokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D015195:Drug Design; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000187:drug effects; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D018925:Chemokines; D016207:Cytokines; D006133:Growth Substances