Abstract
Asthma is the most common chronic respiratory disease and its prevalence is on the increase. Respiratory viral infections in early life have been suggested to increase the risk of development of asthma in later life and virus infection remains the single greatest precipitant of asthma exacerbations. The development of effective anti-viral treatments remains a key target for therapeutic intervention. Here we discuss the role of respiratory viral infection in asthma exacerbation and highlight current and potential anti-viral agents and their mechanisms of action.
Highlights
Asthma is a heterogeneous airway disease characterised by airway inflammation, airway hyperreactivity, reversible bronchoconstriction and airway remodelling
Asthma exacerbations (AEs) are the major cause of morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs associated with asthma [1,2], and are generally defined as worsening of the above symptoms accompanied by a drop in lung function prompting a GP consultation or visit to the emergency room
Because of the overwhelmingly important role viruses play in AE, we argue that now is the time to carefully re-consider anti-viral interventions for AE
Summary
Asthma is a heterogeneous airway disease characterised by airway inflammation, airway hyperreactivity, reversible bronchoconstriction and airway remodelling. In this review we discuss the potential of two therapeutic approaches, one targeting host factors that may induce natural anti-viral immunity, such as the addition of an anti-viral cytokine, manipulation of the host’s immune response such as administration of a vaccine, and secondly targeting the virus itself; including small molecule inhibitors of virus replication, and virus specific immunotherapy RV infection precipitates an increase in emergency room admissions due to AEs [14], known as the ‘asthma epidemic.’ This occurs in the third week of September, after children return to school, highlighting that school age www.sciencedirect.com RV infection precipitates an increase in emergency room admissions due to AEs [14], known as the ‘asthma epidemic.’ This occurs in the third week of September, after children return to school, highlighting that school age www.sciencedirect.com
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