CaMKII Enzyme Cited as Promising Asthma Drug Target

The calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) enzyme could be a promising drug target for treating asthma, according to research from the University of Iowa.

Previous studies had shown that the protein played a role in the oxidation of heart muscle cells, and investigators hypothesised that it could have the same effect in the respiratory system.

Harmful effects arise from this process in asthma, triggering symptoms such as wheezing and coughing, so inhibiting the enzyme could help to offer patients relief.

To test their idea, researchers analysed airway tissue samples from patients, and found that those with asthma did indeed have higher presence of oxidised enzymes.

They even discovered that triggering symptoms through exposing patients to an allergen resulted in a spike of this activity, showing that the condition and the CaMKII enzyme are closely related.

"The take-home message is that inhibiting CaMKII appears to be an effective anti-oxidant strategy for treating allergic asthma," said co-author of the paper Professor Mark Anderson.

Findings are extremely valuable, since the respiratory condition affects some 235 million people, according to the World Health Organization, and current treatments options are relatively poor.