Understanding corticosteroid-sensitive and -insensitive pathways in airway remodelling

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Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are chronic disorders of the airways affecting millions of people worldwide. Airways become remodelled, or thickened, resulting in airway obstruction and decline in lung function. Approximately 400 asthmatics and 6000 COPD sufferers die in Australia each year. Worryingly, COPD is currently the fourth highest cause of death in Australia and this number is predicted to increase in the future. Unfortunately, the drugs currently available for combating these diseases have limited success. We need to understand how to control airway remodelling to be able to improve treatments for asthma and COPD. But first we require a greater understanding of the molecular mechanism-s underlying the development of airway remodelling. With this proposal we will increase our knowledge of the mechanistic basis of asthma and COPD and may elucidate novel therapeutic targets for future pharmacological intervention.