Redox regulation of metabolism in asthma: new insights into the roles of Glutathione-S-transferase P

Asthma is defined as a heterogeneous pulmonary disease, characterized by chronic inflammation, which affects more than 300 million people worldwide. Current available therapeutics target symptoms but do not cure disease, and unfortunately, a significant patient population remains for whom these treatments are not effective. Especially patients with severe asthma do not respond to current treatment and have uncontrolled disease. To define asthmatics better (into subgroups) and to obtain better therapeutics, it is critical to understand the fundamental causes and the underlying (molecular) mechanisms of asthma pathophysiology. Abnormal cellular metabolism is implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases and has been associated with inflammation. The goal of this thesis was to examine if alterations in cellular metabolism contribute to asthma pathology and secondly, whether metabolic changes are regulated by changes in the oxidative environment, notably by redox perturbations.