Protein thiol oxidoreductas and allergic airways disease

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the airways characterized by wheezing and difficulty breathing, affecting approximately 300 million people worldwide. Current therapies target specific manifestations of the disease, improving quality of life however, there remains a significant patient population for whom these treatments are ineffective. Popular belief holds that oxidants are harmful, contributing to disease pathogenesis; although, evidence suggests that oxidants possess diverse biological functions, including anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The goal of this thesis was to examine the functional significance of specific oxidative events in allergic airways disease, and results from these studies reveal potential novel therapeutic strategies for asthma and other disorders of the lung.