Biochemical Basis of Asthma Therapy

Current therapy for asthma is highly effective. β2-Adrenergic receptor (β2AR) agonists are the most effective bronchodilators and relax airway smooth muscle cells through increased cAMP concentrations and directly opening large conductance Ca2+ channels. β2AR may also activate alternative signaling pathways that may have detrimental effects in asthma. Glucocorticoids are the most effective anti-inflammatory treatments and switch off multiple activated inflammatory genes through recruitment of histone deacetylase-2, activating anti-inflammatory genes, and through increasing mRNA stability of inflammatory genes. There are beneficial molecular interactions between β2AR and glucocorticoid-activated pathways. Understanding these signaling pathways may lead to even more effective therapies in the future. Current therapy for asthma is highly effective. β2-Adrenergic receptor (β2AR) agonists are the most effective bronchodilators and relax airway smooth muscle cells through increased cAMP concentrations and directly opening large conductance Ca2+ channels. β2AR may also activate alternative signaling pathways that may have detrimental effects in asthma. Glucocorticoids are the most effective anti-inflammatory treatments and switch off multiple activated inflammatory genes through recruitment of histone deacetylase-2, activating anti-inflammatory genes, and through increasing mRNA stability of inflammatory genes. There are beneficial molecular interactions between β2AR and glucocorticoid-activated pathways. Understanding these signaling pathways may lead to even more effective therapies in the future.