Asthma 2005-2006: Bench to bedside

Asthma is a prevalent and complex syndrome with several phenotypic variants. The central features are bronchial inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness. Many aspects of asthma, such as control of airway hyperresponsiveness, causative factors, and variable responses to treatment, remain poorly understood. This review highlights some of the latest insights into the pathogenesis of asthma that might ultimately bear on the development or choice of treatment modalities.