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Bitter Taste Receptors: an Answer to Comprehensive Asthma Control?

  • Basic and Applied Science (I Lewkowich, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Asthma is marked by peculiar pathological features involving airway contraction, an im**ing inflammation in the lungs, and an inexorably progressive remodeling of pulmonary architecture. Current medications for management of asthma exacerbations fail to optimally mitigate these pathologies, which is partly due to the intrinsic heterogeneity in the development and progression of asthma within different populations. In recent years, the discovery of the ectopic expression of TAS2Rs in extraoral tissues and different cell types, combined with significant strides in gaining mechanistic understanding into receptor signaling and function, has revealed the potential to target TAS2Rs for asthma relief.

Recent Findings

TAS2R activation leads to relaxation of airway smooth muscle cells and bronchodilation. In addition, findings from preclinical studies in murine model of asthma suggest that TAS2R agonists inhibit allergen-induced airway inflammation, remodeling, and hyperresponsiveness.

Summary

In this review, we expand on the opportunity presented by TAS2Rs in the development of a comprehensive asthma treatment that overcomes the limitations set forth by current asthma therapeutics.

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Funding

This study was supported by grants from American Asthma Foundation, and National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute Grant R01HL137030.

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Correspondence to Deepak A. Deshpande.

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Nayak, A.P., Villalba, D. & Deshpande, D.A. Bitter Taste Receptors: an Answer to Comprehensive Asthma Control?. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep 19, 48 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-019-0876-0

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