TY - JOUR T1 - Treating asthma means treating airway smooth muscle cells JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J SP - 265 LP - 274 DO - 10.1183/09031936.00051407 VL - 32 IS - 2 AU - S. Zuyderduyn AU - M. B. Sukkar AU - A. Fust AU - S. Dhaliwal AU - J. K. Burgess Y1 - 2008/08/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/32/2/265.abstract N2 - Asthma is characterised by airway hyperresponsiveness, airway inflammation and airway remodelling. Airway smooth muscle cells are known to be the main effector cells of airway narrowing. In the present paper, studies will be discussed that have led to a novel view of the role of airway smooth muscle in the pathogenesis of asthma in which airway hyperresponsiveness, remodelling and inflammation are, at least in part, attributable to airway smooth muscle. Furthermore, how this new view may lead to a change in the phenotyping and treatment of patients with asthma will be discussed. ER -