Mechanisms of Experimental Mouse Models of Airway Hyperresponsiveness

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lung that has been on the rise in recent decades. Despite tremendous scientific inquiry, the etiology of the disease remains unclear. Exploration of the molecular mechanisms of the disease in humans has been hampered by the heterogeneity of disease expression and the ethical concerns related to the procurement of relevant tissues for study. Thus, animal models, particularly mouse models, have been widely utilized to explore the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of the disease. Models of the allergic form of the disease have highlighted the role of helper T cell type 2 (Th2) cytokines in disease pathogenesis. However, the limited efficacy of new biologic therapies aimed at suppressing Th2 cytokines has raised the question as to whether the current models are ideal. Herein, we review the salient features of existing models as well as discuss the need for new/improved models to better reflect the heterogeneity of human disease.