Tintinger, Gregory RonaldFeldman, CharlesTheron, Annette J.Anderson, Ronald2012-05-232012-05-232010-12-14Tintinger, G.R., Feldman, C., Theron, A.J., and Anderson, R. (2010) Montelukast: more than a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist? TheScientificWorldJOURNAL 10, 2403–2413. DOI 10.1100/tsw.2010.229.1537-744X10.1100/tsw.2010.229http://hdl.handle.net/2263/18834The prototype cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist, montelukast, is generally considered to have a niche application in the therapy of exercise- and aspirin-induced asthma. It is also used as add-on therapy in patients whose asthma is poorly controlled with inhaled corticosteroid monotherapy, or with the combination of a long-acting β(2)-agonist and an inhaled corticosteroid. Recently, however, montelukast has been reported to possess secondary anti-inflammatory properties, apparently unrelated to conventional antagonism of cysteinyl leukotriene receptors. These novel activities enable montelukast to target eosinophils, monocytes, and, in particular, the corticosteroid-insensitive neutrophil, suggesting that this agent may have a broader spectrum of anti-inflammatory activities than originally thought. If so, montelukast is potentially useful in the chemotherapy of intermittent asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, and viral bronchiolitis, which, to a large extent, involve airway epithelial cell/neutrophil interactions. The primary objective of this mini-review is to present evidence for the cysteinyl leukotriene–independent mechanisms of action of montelukast and their potential clinical relevance.en© 2010 with author.Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseCyclic AMPCysteinyl leukotrienesCystic fibrosisHistone acetyltransferase5-lipoxygenaseCyclic nucleotide phospodiesteraseSepsisViral bronchiolitisArticle