Annual Congress Munich 2006

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Pro/Con: asthma is (not) an inflammatory disease

Symposium
Chairs: R. Djukanovic (Southampton, United Kingdom), P. J. Sterk (Leiden, The Netherlands)
Aims: After this symposium the participant will:
• be able to weigh up the available evidence whether (or not) airway inflammation is really important in asthma pathogenesis;
• appreciate that steroids may (also) exert their benefits by altering gene transcription in cellular pathways that are unrelated to inflammation;
• recognize the opportunities, but also the limitations, of specifically targeting inflammation in asthma. Target audience: Clinical and basic scientists, pulmonologists, paediatricians, cell biologists, physiologists, pharmacologists, both in academia and industry.

The eosinophil is important in asthma after all – Pro P. O'Byrne (Hamilton, Canada)
The eosinophil is important in asthma after all – Con P. J. Barnes (London, United Kingdom)
Give me the patient's smooth muscle cells and I will tell you how to develop effective anti-asthma therapy – Pro R. Panettieri (Philadelphia, United States of America)
Give me the patient's smooth muscle cells and I will tell you how to develop effective anti-asthma therapy – Con J. Bousquet (Montpellier, France)
Anti-cytokine approaches should target bronchial hyperresponsiveness rather than inflammation – Pro I. Pavord (Leicester, United Kingdom)
The verdict W. Busse (Madison, United States of America)