Anti-TNF-α therapies in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma are chronic diseases in which inflammation of the airways leads to progressive transient airway obstruction and TNF-alpha plays an important pro-inflammatory role. Objective: To assess the plausibility of anti-TNF-alpha therapies playing an anti-inflammatory role in asthma and COPD. Methods: Scientific rationale of TNF-alpha targeting in asthma and COPD was assessed individually and the available data on the use of anti-TINIF-alpha in each disease were reviewed. Results and conclusion: Anti-TNF-alpha therapies demonstrate different efficacies in asthma and COPD and further supportive preclinical and clinical data are needed, especially about subsets of certain diseases which could benefit the most from these therapies.