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Nonpharmacological and pharmacological interventions to prevent or reduce airway remodelling

¹ Cardio-Respiratory Research Group, Menzies Research Institute, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia, ² Applied Immunobiology and Transplantation Research Group, The Freeman Hospital and University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.

CORRESPONDENCE: E. H. Walters Research Office Level 3 Clinical School University of Tasmania, 43 Collins Street, Hobart 7001, Australia, Fax: 61 62264784

Keywords: Airways, asthma, bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pharmacology, remodelling

Received: January 18, 2006
Accepted July 30, 2006

In the present review of airway remodelling and its response to therapies, clinical observations about airway physiological abnormalities, assumed to be caused by remodelling processes, are related to what is known about the components of structural changes from airway sampling and histopathological analysis. The review focuses on three important diseases: asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome (BOS), which occurs commonly after lung transplantation as a manifestation of chronic rejection. The present authors chose to use BOS as an issue, because with routine bronchoscopic surveillance after lung transplantation there has been more opportunity to directly study airway pathology longitudinally than in more everyday conditions. In addition, the present authors have reviewed animal models of induced airway remodelling, where most information is available on the potential of therapeutic intervention. Finally, the limited information that can be gained from the literature on the effects of commonly used airway medications on remodelling components is reviewed. In conclusion, the present authors have detailed some of the gaps in knowledge surrounding the potential to improve or modulate remodelling processes in human disease. The areas where it is believed urgent research needs to be focused have also been highlighted.

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