Small airway relaxation--a forgotten medical need.

The current exclusive focus on airway inflammation and remodelling in asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has dwarfed the interest in simple relaxation of the bronchi. This commentary highlights the particular importance of reducing smooth muscle constriction of human small airways in these obstructive diseases. Furthermore, the need of novel drugs in this area is underscored by in vitro and in vivo data demonstrating limited small airway relaxant efficacy of currently available bronchodilators.