Full Description
As the incidence of asthma in the adult population continues to increase, and the age of onset in children to decrease, this condition remains a primary concern not only for specialists in respiratory medicine, but for physicians in many other fields also, when dealing with the asthmatic patient. The range of therapeutic agents now available, and the diversity of targets on which they act, presents the doctor with a variety of options for managing the condition. In this volume leading international authorities explain the mechanisms of action of the drugs currently in use, and their clinical applications, singly and in combination. They also examine the potential of new agents currently under evaluation. "Therapeutic Strategies in Asthma" provides physicians with a comprehensive resource that will help them evaluate for themselves the right approach for each of their patients. It will be of also be of interest to other health professionals involved in the care of patients being treated for this condition.
Contents
FIRST LINE ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND BRONCHODILATOR DRUGS; 1. Novel mechanistic aspects of GCS in relation to asthma therapy. I Adcock; 2. Benefit-risk of long-acting [beta]-adrenergic and ultra long-acting [beta]-adrenergic agonists. M Cazzola; 3. Non-bronchodilator activities of beta2-agonists: enhanced efficacy in the management of asthma? H Hanania; 4. The pros and cons of combination therapy. J Lotvall; 5. Role of PDE4 in asthma. G Currie; AUTOCOIDS AND THEIR RECEPTORS IN AIRWAY DISEASES; 6. Anti-cholinergics in asthma? C Virchow; 7. Controversies on antileukotrienes. S Salvi; 8. Adenosine receptors: novel molecular targets in asthma. D Zeng; 9. TGF-beta: its role in asthma and therapeutic potential. R McAnulty; 10. Transcription factors in asthma: are transcription factors a new target for asthma therapy? J Black; 11. Is IKK2 inhibition a feasible target in asthma? Y Amrani; ENZYME-INHIBITORS; 12. Protease-activated receptors: targets for therapeutic intervention in asthma. M Tunon de Lara; 13. NOS as a therapeutic target in asthma. G Folkerts; 14. Role of metalloprotease inhibitors in asthma. P Thomas; SENSORY NERVES AND SENSORY NEUROPEPTIDES; 15. Sensory neuropeptides as innovative targets in asthma. GF Joos; 16. Rationale for vanilloid receptor 1 agonist-based therapies in asthma. P Geppetti; RECEPTORS IN IMMUNOLOGY; 17. Agents against cytokine synthesis or receptors for asthma. KF Chung; 18. Targeting chemokines in asthma management. L Murray; 19. The CCR3: eotaxin signalling pathway and asthma, J Pease; 20. Putative role of anti-TNF[alpha] drugs in asthma management. I Pavord; 21. The new role of anti-IgE therapy in the treatment of asthma. G D'Amato; MISCELLANEOUS; 22. Life, death and resurrection of allergen immunotherapy in asthma. L Jacobsen, R Polosa; 23. Role of CpG DNA in asthma. J Kline; 24. Putative role of antimicrobial activity in asthma treatment. F Blasi; 25. What is new in the management of acute asthma? G Rodrigo; 26. Rethinking individualized treatment of asthma. FE Hargreave; 27. Determinants of therapeutic response in asthma: cigarette smoking. N Thomson; List of Abbreviations; Index of Papers Reviewed; General Index.
