title: New therapies for asthma.
abstract: Asthma is an increasing global health problem, and many patients continue to suffer from chronic symptoms. However, current therapy with inhaled corticosteroids and a long-acting inhaled beta(2)-agonist is highly effective, safe and inexpensive. This poses a major hurdle to the development of new therapies that aim to improve on current treatments. An important unmet need is the treatment of severe asthma, which has different characteristics to mild and moderate asthma and is more similar to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Several new treatments are now under development but many of them are too specific, targeting a single receptor, enzyme or mediator, and are unlikely to have a major clinical impact. Another unmet need is the development of an effective oral therapy for mild and moderate asthma, but it is unlikely that such a treatment will be discovered because side effects might be a major problem. Prospects for a cure are currently remote but might arise from the development of vaccines that target the aberrant immune function in asthma.
authors.affiliation: National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London, SW3 6LY, UK. p.j.barnes@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018448:Models, Immunological; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D018926:Anti-Allergic Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D018836:Inflammation Mediators