Cysteinyl Leukotriene Receptor Antagonists and Thromboxane Synthase Inhibitors: New Targets to Treat Asthma

Cysteinyl leukotrienes (LTC 4 , LTD4 and LTE4 ) and thromboxane A2 are important metabolites of arachidonic acid cascate involved in a variety of cellular functions and diseases. These eicosanoids have been implicated as key mediators in the development and progression of bronchial asthma. Therefore, several new therapeutic approaches are based on the design of drugs that can modulate their actions. These strategies can be represented by drugs that act as CysLT1 receptor antagonists (e.g., zafirlukast and montelukast), by inhibiting thromboxane synthase (e.g. ozagrel hydrochloride), or even as new symbiotic agents that can simultaneously modulate the actions of cysteinyl leukotrienes and thromboxane A2 (e.g. YM 158 and LASSBio 341).