Bronchial Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and NF-κB

Abstract

Respiratory diseases place a considerable burden on global health. Bronchial asthma describes many heterogeneous clinical phenotypes that result in chronic bronchial inflammation. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is one of the most common adult respiratory disorders characterized by chronic airflow limitation that is not fully reversible and is associated with an abnormal inflammatory response of the lungs to noxious particles and gases. Recognition of the global importance and rising prevalence of these diseases and the absence of effective treatments has led to concerted efforts to improve the efficacy of the existing drugs and develop new ones that target cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie disease pathogenesis. The transcription factor nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB) regulates the expression of a wide array of genes that are involved in the molecular pathobiology of the lung by regulating cellular immune responses, cell adhesion, differentiation, proliferation, angiogenesis and apoptosis. In this work, we review published clinical and experimental studies that link the inhibition of NF-kappaB activity with the treatment of asthma and COPD. Our end point is to help identify pathway-specific inhibitors of NF-kappaB that can be used for the treatment of specific human ailments.

1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3(1,25-(OH)2D3) Attenuates Airway Remodeling in a Murine Model of Chronic Asthma

“…Numerous studies have confirmed that NF-κB is overactivated in asthma patients (9). As one of the attractive signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of asthma, NF-κB can act at different levels of airway remodeling, such as regulating extracellular matrix remodeling, ASM cell phenotypes, and the synthesis of collage (10).…”

Novel role of NF-κB-p65 in antioxidant homeostasis in human kidney-2 cells

“…These results further suggest that these molecules have potential as future therapeutic targets to reduce ROS and treat cardiovascular disorders such as hypertension where ROS play a detrimental role. One intriguing question, however, is that activation of NF-B on one hand is linked to beneficial effects relating to antioxidant homeostasis (13, 14, 23, 31, present study) while on the other hand it is implicated in inflammatory processes (1,2,8). It is likely that the fate of NF-B action is decided by the instigator proximal to its activation as well as binding between different NF-B subunits (p50, p52, p65) and may result in different downstream signal for discrete target gene transcription.…”

Combined effects of TNF‐α, IL‐1β, and HIF‐1α on MMP‐2 production in ACL fibroblasts under mechanical stretch: An in vitro study

“…40,41 However, the signal pathways underling the mimicked complicated microenvironment induced MMP-2 activity in ACL fibroblasts was not clear. We have previously reported that the mechanical injury induced the MMP-2 activities via NF-kB pathway.…”