It is now believed that both chronic airway inflammation and remodeling contribute significantly to airway dysfunction and clinical symptoms in allergic asthma. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta is a powerful regulator of both the tissue repair and inflammatory responses, and numerous experimental and clinical studies suggest that it may play an integral role in the pathogenesis of asthma.
Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, Head, Division of Respiratory Diseases and Allergy, MDCL 4013, McMaster University, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, Canada. jordanam@mcmaster.ca