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Experimental and investigational phosphodiesterase inhibitors in development for asthma
Polyxeni Ntontsi1, Aggeliki Detta2, Petros Bakakos2
1a 2nd Respiratory Medicine Department , National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, Attikon Hospital , Athens , Greece.
Introduction:
Severe, inadequately-controlled asthma remains a clinical challenge. For this reason, clinical trials and preclinical experimental studies on novel agents as an add-on therapies continue emerge. Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) are enzymes that regulate the function of immune cells by hydrolyzing cyclic guanosine monophosphate/cGMP and cyclic adenosine monophosphate/cAMP. PDEs are divided into subfamilies [PDE3, PDE4, PDE5 and PDE7] which are mainly found in the respiratory tract. Inhibitors of PDEs have already been approved for COPD and pulmonary hypertension.
Areas Covered:
The role of PDE inhibitors in asthma treatment and the possible mechanism of action via their anti-inflammatory and/or bronchodilating effect are discussed.
Expert Opinion:
Novel PDE inhibitors exhibiting fewer adverse events may have a role as add-on therapies in asthma treatment in the future. More clinical trials are necessary to prove their efficacy and evaluate their safety profile before approval by regulatory bodies is granted.
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