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Updated: May 28, 2026

Mimicking the Function of Signaling Proteins: Toward Artificial Signal Transduction Therapy
Published on: September 29, 2016
Novel cAMP signalling paradigms: therapeutic implications for airway disease
Charlotte K Billington1, Ian P Hall
1Division of Therapeutics and Molecular Medicine, Nottingham Respiratory Biomedical Research Unit, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK. charlotte.billington@nottingham.ac.uk
Abstract:
Since its discovery over 50 years ago, cAMP has been the archetypal second messenger introducing students to the concept of cell signalling at the simplest level. As explored in this review, however, there are many more facets to cAMP signalling than the path from Gs-coupled receptor to adenylyl cyclase (AC) to cAMP to PKA to biological effect. After a brief description of this canonical cAMP signalling pathway, a snapshot is provided of the novel paradigms of cAMP signalling. As in the airway the cAMP pathway relays the major bronchorelaxant signal and as such is the target for frontline therapy for asthma and COPD, particular emphasis is given to airway disease and therapy. Areas discussed include biased agonism, continued signalling following internalization, modulation of cAMP by AC, control of cAMP degradation, cAMP and calcium crosstalk, Epac-mediated signalling and finally the implications of altered genotypes will be considered. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Novel cAMP Signalling Paradigms. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2012.166.issue-2.
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