ANTI-REMODELLING AND ANTI-HYPERRESPONSIVENESS PROPERTIES OF ARTESUNATE FOR THE TREATMENT OF ASTHMA

Abstract

Airway wall remodeling (AWR) and airways hyperresponsiveness (AHR) are key features of asthma. AWR features include, but is not limited to, increased airway smooth muscle (ASM) mass and mucus hypersecretion. Current anti-asthma therapies have limited efficacy against AWR and AHR. We determined whether artesunate, an FDA-approved anti-malarial drug, could be repurposed for the treatment of asthma. Previous studies found that artesunate attenuated airway inflammation and ASM in an acute mouse model of asthma. We now extend our studies by developing a house dust mite-induced chronic mouse model of asthma. We showed that artesunate attenuated ASM mass and mucus hypersecretion, and improved lung function parameters. Mechanistically, artesunate inhibited ASM cell proliferation and contraction via a PI3K/Akt pathway and a calcium-dependent pathway. Our study supports the potential for artesunate as a novel anti-asthma therapy.