While asthma is considered an inflammatory disorder of the conducting airways, it is
becoming increasingly apparent that the disease is heterogeneous with respect to …

Allergic asthma is a complex and chronic inflammatory disorder which is associated with
airway hyper-responsiveness and tissue remodelling of the airway structure. Although …

Human fibrocytes are mesenchymal progenitors that exhibit mixed morphological and
molecular characteristics of hematopoietic stem cells, monocytes and fibroblasts. They likely …

Background Mast cell localization within the airway smooth muscle (ASM)‐bundle plays an
important role in the development of airway hyper‐responsiveness (AHR). Genomewide …

Mast cells have long been recognized for their role in the genesis of allergic inflammation;
and more recently for their participation in innate and acquired immune responses. Mast …

Mast cells (MC s) play a central role in tissue homoeostasis, sensing the local environment
through numerous innate cell surface receptors. This enables them to respond rapidly to …

Fibrosis is a medical condition characterized by an excessive deposition of extracellular
matrix compounds such as collagen in tissues. Fibrotic lesions are present in many diseases …

There are many parallels between allergic and autoimmune responses. Both are considered
hypersensitivity responses: pathologies that are elicited by an exuberant reaction to …

Increased airway smooth muscle mass is present in fatal and non-fatal asthma. However,
little information is available regarding the cellular mechanism (ie, hyperplasia vs …

Airway remodelling is an important feature of asthma pathogenesis. A key structural change
inherent in airway remodelling is increased airway smooth muscle mass. There is emerging …