title: The eosinophil as a therapeutic target in asthma: beginning of the end, or end of the beginning?
abstract: A major goal in asthma therapy is to reduce or prevent the inflammatory response associated with bronchial hyperresponsiveness, reversible airway obstruction and airway remodelling. However, because of the complex nature of the disease, a single target for such an ideal therapeutic approach remains elusive. To ensure a more rational design of anti-asthma drugs, recent investigations have attempted to elucidate the roles of inflammatory cellular components in asthma. Such studies have shown that eosinophilic infiltration is a prominent feature in the pathophysiology of asthma. Nonetheless, the role of the eosinophil in asthma has been questioned following recent human studies investigating the efficacy of a novel therapeutic strategy targeted at eosinophils.
authors.affiliation: Pulmonary Research Group, Department of Medicine, Heritage Medical Research Centre, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2S2, Canada.
authors.forename: Darryl
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Adamko
authors.forename: Solomon Olawole
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Odemuyiwa
authors.forename: Redwan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moqbel
mesh_terms: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001249:Asthma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D018927:Anti-Asthmatic Agents