Pharmacotherapy for Inflammatory Processes

Abstract

Drugs that dampen acute and chronic inflammation and their sequelae are currently some of the most widely utilised therapeutic agents. With the increasing appreciation that inflammation is involved in the pathobiology of most of the serious and complex disorders that affect mankind, the development and therapeutic uses of anti-inflammatory drugs will likely grow with increasing demand for precision interventions in inflammatory pathways. In this article, we examine commonly utilised anti-inflammatory drugs with a view to how their efficacy has informed our fundamental understanding of inflammatory mediators and pathways. We then look at more recently developed, or developing, targeted strategies that have emerged from a deeper appreciation of these pathways.

Keywords: Anti-inflammatory drugs, Asthma, Biologicals, COPD, DMARDs, Glucocorticoids, Inflammatory cells, Inflammation, Inflammatory disease, Inflammatory mediators, NSAIDs, Rheumatoid arthritis.