Asthma Phenotypes and Current Biological Treatments

Abstract

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by bronchial hyperreactivity, chronic airway inflammation, and reversible airflow obstruction, and it affects individuals in all age groups. In recent years, the concept of intrinsic and extrinsic asthma as per the former classification has been replaced by endotypic and phenotypic definitions. However, the two main asthma endotypes described and have simplified its classification. These endotypes, “Th2-high” and “Th2-low”, are based on various measurements obtained for different biological materials, including blood, bronchial and sputum samples. The definitions of asthma is useful for targeted and individualized treatments, estimating the treatment response and prognosis. In the field of respiratory medicine, biological drugs (BDs) have shown rapid evolution and positive developments in the last 10 years, particularly for the treatment of asthma, interstitial lung disease, and lung cancer. However, because of the increasing number of BDs and associated studies, it has become very difficult to update treatment guidelines on a regular basis. BDs are used for patients with difficult-to-treat, moderate to severe, and/or uncontrolled allergic asthma. Here we present a review of current asthma phenotypes and the role, efficacy, and side effects of BDs used for the treatment of these conditions.