Molecular Mechanisms of Anti-Asthma Therapy

Asthma is one of the commonest chronic disease world-wide and anti-asthma medications are widely prescribed. Asthma is a complex chronic inflammatory disease, involving many cells, mediators and inflammatory responses. Current anti-asthma therapy is categorized as bronchodilator (β 2 -agonists, theophylline, anticholinergics) or anti-inflammatory (glucocorticosteroids, cromones, immunomodulators), although the distinction is not always clear-cut. Bronchodilators are believed to act predominately by relaxing airway smooth muscle, whereas anti-inflammatory drugs suppress the inflammatory response in asthmatic airways. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.