title: The pharmacology of cough.
abstract: Cough is an indispensable defensive reflex. Although generally beneficial, cough is also a common symptom of diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer. Cough remains a major unmet medical need and, although the centrally acting opioids have remained the antitussive drug of choice for decades, such opioids possess many unwanted side-effects. However, new research into the behaviour of airway sensory nerves has provided greater insight into the mechanisms of cough and new avenues for the discovery of novel non-opioid antitussive drugs. In this article, the pathophysiological mechanisms of cough and the implications of this research for the development of novel antitussive drugs will be discussed. A poster depicting the pharmacology of cough is available online and in print as to this article.
authors.affiliation: Sackler Institute of Pulmonary Pharmacology, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guy's Campus, King's College London, London SE1 1UL, UK.
authors.forename: Sandra M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Auralyn J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Mackenzie
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Spina
authors.forename: Clive P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Page
mesh_terms: D000996:Antitussive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003371:Cough / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D012018:Reflex / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011984:Sensory Receptor Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000996:Antitussive Agents