Foundations of Airway Physiology and Pharmacologic Targets

Course overview

Respiratory pharmacology is fundamentally influenced by airway anatomy, physiologic function, and the location of pharmacologic targets rather than by drug selection alone. Variations in airway diameter, mucosal edema, epithelial signaling, and immune activation contribute differently to airflow limitation and treatment response across respiratory conditions. This course provides a mechanism-based overview of airway physiology and pharmacologic targets, emphasizing how anatomic location and dominant physiologic pathways shape therapeutic effects, safety considerations, and patterns of response or nonresponse. By organizing respiratory disease states according to physiologic phenotype rather than diagnosis, this course provides a structured framework for understanding respiratory drug action applicable across diverse clinical presentations.