The treatment of asthma--beyond bronchodilators.

I have attempted to indicate the importance of Ca2+ ions in the various pathogenetic processes that contribute to the development of asthma and to show how both Ca2+ entry blockers and calmodulin-active compounds may alter the function of mediator releasing cells and smooth muscle contractility in vitro as well as their effects in various experimental animal situations and on airway function in man. It would appear that the currently available cardiovascular-active Ca2+ entry blockers are not very specific with regard to either airway smooth muscle or mast cell function but their observed activities certainly warrant the search for new Ca2+ antagonists that might have greater specificity for airway smooth muscle, for example, and might facilitate therapy of asthma. There have been remarkably few studies of the effects of calmodulin-active compounds on allergic processes or in asthma. The activity of these compounds in various experimental models demands that they should be further studied with respect to their possible clinical usefulness in the management of asthma and other allergic disorders.