Oxidation specific epitopes in asthma: New possibilities for treatment

•Oxidative stress can damage cellular lipids causing the formation of oxidation specific epitopes (OSEs).•OSEs are danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs).•OSEs signal cellular damage or apoptosis to the immune system.•OSEs are found in a variety of chronic diseases, including asthma.•Targeting OSE clearance in asthma may provide a new avenue of treatment. Oxidative stress is an important feature of asthma pathophysiology that is not currently targeted by any of our frontline treatments. Reactive oxygen species, generated during times of heightened oxidative stress, can damage cellular lipids causing the production of oxidation specific epitopes (OSE). OSEs are elevated in chronic inflammatory diseases and promoting their clearance by the body, through pattern recognition receptors and IgM antibodies, prevents and resolves inflammation and tissue damage in animal models. Current research on OSEs in asthma is limited. Although they are present in the lungs of people with asthma during periods of exacerbation or allergen exposure, we do not know if they are linked with disease pathobiology. This article reviews our current understanding of OSEs in asthma and explores whether targeting OSE clearance mechanisms may be a novel therapeutic intervention for asthma.