Asthma

β2-Adrenoceptor signaling is required for the development of an asthma phenotype in a murine model

Nguyen, L. P. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 106, 2435–2440 (2009) Article PubMed

β2-Adrenergic receptor (β2AR) agonists are used in the management of asthma, but their chronic use is assoicated with loss of disease control. This paper demonstrated the paradoxical result that β2AR signalling — by constitutively active receptors — is required for the asthma phenotype in animal models. A β2AR inverse agonist attenuated asthmatic symptoms, highlighting the potential of inverse agonists in this condition.