ABSTRACT

Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are chronic inammatory diseases that account for substantial global morbidity and mortality and nancial costs to healthcare institutions [1-5]. Chronic inammation in asthma and COPD is characterized and orchestrated by distinct inammatory cells, cytokines, chemokines, adhesion molecules, enzymes, and receptors. The mainstay of current treatments includes inhaled bronchodilators, inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), antileukotriene receptor antagonists, and combinations of bronchodilators with corticosteroids in a single inhaler. However, in severe asthmatics and COPD patients, corticosteroids fail to alter the decline in lung function and reduce the underlying inammation [6-9]. This presents an urgent medical need to develop novel antiinammatory drugs. Recent advancements in our understanding of the pathogenesis and molecular biology underlying asthma and COPD have led to the identication of novel therapeutic targets that offer hope in reducing the underlying inammation and consequently improving quality of life [3,10].