New therapeutics and targets in the treatment of asthma

The worldwide prevalence of asthma continues to increase and there is still no cure for the disease. In recent years, however, progress has been made in the treatment of asthma. As our understanding of the molecular relationships in the field of immunology continues to grow, new targets for potential therapeutics are coming to the fore. The goal is to specifically regulate the immune system and thus reduce the inflammation underlying the asthmatic disease. The ever-growing understanding of asthmatic disease itself is also helping in this endeavor. By phenotyping patients more precisely and with the help of new therapeutics, it is possible to develop therapies that are precisely tailored to the patient and take into account the individual immunological background. The classical corticosteroid treatments are increasingly supplemented with new therapeutics and the dosage of steroids can be lowered, thus reducing the burden of side effects of the corticosteroid treatment on the patients. Particularly in the field of allergic asthma, i.e. those diseases based on TH2-mediated inflammation, good results have been achieved by using new biologics, for example monoclonal antibodies. However, the therapies remain costly and require close monitoring. In the field of intrinsic asthma, no successes have been recorded so far. However, the Finnish Allergy Program shows that it is possible to combat asthma on a societal level through education on asthma treatment and prevention in combination with nutrition, air purification and exercise programs.