Prostanoids as anti-inflammatory therapy: separating the good from the bad

Previous work has suggested that the bronchodilator properties of PGE2 in human airways are mediated via activation of the EP4 receptor, 5 whereas the undesirable triggering of airway sensory nerves appears to be mediated by the EP3 receptor. 6 An advantage of the study by Birrell et al is that they profiled the inflammatory status of the EP receptor knockout (KO) mice in an array of preclinical respiratory disease model systems: an endotoxin model to mimic innate immune responses, an allergen asthma model and a cigarette smoke chronic obstructive pulmonary disease model.