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Bronchial Thermoplasty: A Novel Therapeutic Approach to Severe Asthma
Published on: November 4, 2010
Potential therapeutic targets for steroid-resistant asthma
Wan Wang1, Jing Jing Li, Paul S Foster
1Centre for Asthma and Respiratory Disease, School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, University of Newcastle and Hunter Medical Research Institute, Callaghan, NSW 2300, Australia.
Current Drug Targets
|April 24, 2010
Summary
Steroid-resistant asthma affects severe cases, leading to poor response to glucocorticoids. Understanding resistance mechanisms is key to developing new treatments for this costly condition.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Glucocorticoids are primary asthma treatments, but some patients develop steroid resistance.
- Steroid-resistant asthma, often severe, incurs high healthcare costs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the characteristics and mechanisms of steroid-resistant asthma.
- To explore potential therapies for reversing glucocorticoid resistance.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on glucocorticoid action and resistance in asthma.
- Analysis of cellular, molecular, and epigenetic factors implicated in resistance.
Main Results:
- Multiple factors contribute to steroid resistance, including transcription factors, histone deacetylase, epigenetic modifications (miR-18, miR-124a), vitamin D, P-glycoprotein 170, macrophage migration inhibitory factor, T helper 17 cells, and innate immunity factors (IFN-gamma, LPS).
Conclusions:
- Understanding the pathogenesis of steroid-resistant asthma is crucial for developing more effective treatments.
- Targeting specific molecular pathways may offer new therapeutic strategies for steroid-resistant asthma.
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