Glycolysis in asthma: Its role and potential as a diagnostic or therapeutic target
Xuejiao Lv, Wenrui Wang, Hongna Dong, Wei Li
Abstract
• Glycolysis in glucose metabolism, bridge to metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction. • Abnormal glycolytic metabolism in immune cells contribute to pathogenesis of asthma. • Glycolysis inhibition, a viable approach to prevent airway inflammation in asthma. • Therapeutic significance of glycolysis and inflammatory cells in asthma subtypes. Asthma is a heterogeneous disease characterized by chronic airway inflammation and hyperresponsiveness. A number of immune cells are involved in asthma pathogenesis, such as eosinophils, mast cells, T lymphocytes and neutrophils, as well as airway epithelial cells. Glycolysis plays a crucial role in glucose metabolism, and serves as a bridge between metabolic and inflammatory dysfunction. Research has found that abnormal glycolytic metabolism in various immune cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of asthma by inducing dysregulation in congenital and adaptive immune responses. Therefore, the inhibition of glycolysis can be a viable approach to prevent airway inflammation in asthma. The present study reviews the relationship between glycolysis and inflammatory cells in different asthma subtypes, and its potential therapeutic significance.