@article {An834, author = {S. S. An and T. R. Bai and J. H. T. Bates and J. L. Black and R. H. Brown and V. Brusasco and P. Chitano and L. Deng and M. Dowell and D. H. Eidelman and B. Fabry and N. J. Fairbank and L. E. Ford and J. J. Fredberg and W. T. Gerthoffer and S. H. Gilbert and R. Gosens and S. J. Gunst and A. J. Halayko and R. H. Ingram and C. G. Irvin and A. L. James and L. J. Janssen and G. G. King and D. A. Knight and A. M. Lauzon and O. J. Lakser and M. S. Ludwig and K. R. Lutchen and G. N. Maksym and J. G. Martin and T. Mauad and B. E. McParland and S. M. Mijailovich and H. W. Mitchell and R. W. Mitchell and W. Mitzner and T. M. Murphy and P. D. Par{\'e} and R. Pellegrino and M. J. Sanderson and R. R. Schellenberg and C. Y. Seow and P. S. P. Silveira and P. G. Smith and J. Solway and N. L. Stephens and P. J. Sterk and A. G. Stewart and D. D. Tang and R. S. Tepper and T. Tran and L. Wang}, title = {Airway smooth muscle dynamics: a common pathway of airway obstruction in asthma}, volume = {29}, number = {5}, pages = {834--860}, year = {2007}, doi = {10.1183/09031936.00112606}, publisher = {European Respiratory Society}, abstract = {Excessive airway obstruction is the cause of symptoms and abnormal lung function in asthma. As airway smooth muscle (ASM) is the effecter controlling airway calibre, it is suspected that dysfunction of ASM contributes to the pathophysiology of asthma. However, the precise role of ASM in the series of events leading to asthmatic symptoms is not clear. It is not certain whether, in asthma, there is a change in the intrinsic properties of ASM, a change in the structure and mechanical properties of the noncontractile components of the airway wall, or a change in the interdependence of the airway wall with the surrounding lung parenchyma. All these potential changes could result from acute or chronic airway inflammation and associated tissue repair and remodelling. Anti-inflammatory therapy, however, does not {\textquotedblleft}cure{\textquotedblright} asthma, and airway hyperresponsiveness can persist in asthmatics, even in the absence of airway inflammation. This is perhaps because the therapy does not directly address a fundamental abnormality of asthma, that of exaggerated airway narrowing due to excessive shortening of ASM. In the present study, a central role for airway smooth muscle in the pathogenesis of airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma is explored.}, issn = {0903-1936}, URL = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/29/5/834}, eprint = {https://erj.ersjournals.com/content/29/5/834.full.pdf}, journal = {European Respiratory Journal} }