Airway smooth muscle dysfunction in RSV infection

Dr. Giovanni Piedimonte’s presentation will be based on his paper in Science Signaling (2021) about ​β2 adrenergic receptors (β2ARs) in airway smooth muscle cells. β2AR agonists do not seem to relieve acute airway obstruction in young RSV patients. In the paper, the effect of RSV infection on the abundance and function of β2ARs in paediatric lung tissue is examined. The results suggest that RSV infection counteracts β2AR agonist induced bronchodilation in multiple ways.