STIM1 is the key that unlocks airway smooth muscle remodeling and hyperresponsiveness during asthma

Airway smooth muscle remodeling and hyperresponsiveness are critical determinants of asthma severity, but the precise mechanisms regulating these disease processes remain elusive. In their latest study published in PNAS, Trebak and colleagues demonstrate that STIM1 (stromal-interacting molecule 1) expression is upregulated in airway smooth muscle cells during asthma and facilitates Ca(2+) influx to drive airway remodeling and hyperresponsiveness.