Targeting M3 muscarinic receptors to relax airways in asthma and other obstructive lung diseases
Biased Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor Signaling in Obstructive Lung Disease Pathology and Therapy
New drugs that steer M3 muscarinic receptors to reduce airway tightening and help people with asthma or other obstructive lung diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Thomas Jefferson University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11258521 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are working to change how a key airway receptor (the M3 muscarinic receptor) signals inside airway muscle cells to prevent tightening and harmful growth. The team has found two small-molecule compounds that push M3 signaling toward a GRK/arrestin pathway, which may promote helpful effects on airway muscle. They will test these compounds in airway cells and laboratory models to see whether they stop or reverse processes that cause airway narrowing and hyper-responsiveness. If the lab results are promising, the approach could move toward testing as a treatment for people with obstructive lung disease.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with asthma or other obstructive lung diseases who have ongoing airway narrowing or poor symptom control despite current treatments would be the likely candidates for future trials.
Not a fit: Patients whose lung problems are not driven by airway smooth muscle constriction (for example, many interstitial lung diseases) or those already well-controlled on existing therapies may not benefit from this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could lead to new bronchodilator-type drugs that open airways better or work for people who don't get enough relief from current medicines.
How similar studies have performed: Biased signaling at GPCRs is an emerging approach with encouraging preclinical findings in some systems, but GRK/arrestin-biased M3 drugs for airway disease remain largely untested in people.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- Thomas Jefferson University — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pera, Tonio — Thomas Jefferson University
- Study coordinator: Pera, Tonio
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.