Inhaled therapy is the basis of both controller and reliever treatment in asthma. Drugs administered through the inhaled route have been classicaly divided into anti-inflammatory and bronchodilator medications. The former group would be composed of corticosteroids, whereas the later would be comprised of beta2 agonists and muscarinic antagonists. Neverthelss, recent studies indicate that long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA, a class of controller drugs indicated in severe asthma cases) might have an anti-inflammatory effect besides its well-established bronchodilator capacity. However, most works investigating this hypothesis have been conducted in animals and with a focus on the capacity of LAMAs to inhibit neutrophil infiltration of the airways, a phenomenon;typical of COPD (a disease for which LAMAs are the cornerstone for treatment). On the other hand, recent data suggests that LAMAs could act on bronchial epithelial cells and immune cells to inhibit the inflammatory events mediated by IL-5 and IL-13. Of note, these two cytokines are greatly associted with the inflammatory pattern of many asthma cases. In this task force, a group of experts in the field will conduct a systematic revision of the literature to clarify the effect of LAMAs on the inflammatory events of asthma and to identify research priorities (eg relevant areas requiring further investigation). The results will serve as basis for an EAACI position paper and for a video for EAACI e-learning platform.

Asthma Section

Chair: Ibon Eguiluz Gracia
Secretary: Ioana Agache