New target for asthma treatment: Inhibition of cluster formation of lipid rafts

Abstract

Introduction Lipid rafts are microdomains of the plasma membrane that are enriched in cholesterol and sphingolipids and play an important role in the initiation of many pharmacological agentinduced signalling pathways. Basophils or mast cells play roles in the pathophysiology of allergic asthma. Cluster formation of lipid rafts with crosslinking of high-affinity IgE receptor contributes to the activation of basophils or mast cells and the process of granule exocytosis. Antiasthmatic drugs, such as glucocorticoids and β2-agonists, inhibit cluster formation of lipid rafts, via mobility of the membrane and internalisation of β2-adrenergic receptors, respectively. This review highlights the recent findings on this new target of anti-asthma drugs through inhibition of the cluster formation of lipid rafts. Conclusion Future work will be required to determine whether long-acting muscarinic antagonists could inhibit cluster formation of lipid rafts on basophils or mast cells, as well as smooth muscle and gland cells.