Airway Pathogenesis Is Linked to TRP Channels

Excerpt

Respiratory diseases affect the quality of life of an important population worldwide. In light of this, efforts have been made to determine which ion channels are involved in diseases including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic cough, pulmonary arterial hypertension, cystic fibrosis, allergic and nonallergic rhinitis, acute lung injury, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In the context of some of these diseases, it has been found that the function and/or the expression of some TRP channels may be altered. Among these the TRPA1, TRPV1, TRPV4, and TRM8 channels have been linked to asthma, COPD, and chronic cough among other maladies. This chapter focuses on the role of these channels in normal and abnormal airway function.