哮喘是一种常见的慢性呼吸道疾病。作为一种异质性疾病，其发病机制由免疫、遗传、环境等多种因素共同驱动，由多种细胞共同参与。近些年越来越多的证据表明，气道上皮细胞在哮喘发病中发挥核心作用。气道上皮细胞作为机体呼吸系统抵御外界环境的第一道防线，主要通过细胞间各种连接阻止有害刺激进入，并通过黏液纤毛系统和抗菌肽清除变应原、病毒等外来有害因素。气道黏膜受到外来有害刺激时，气道上皮细胞屏障可能被破坏，上皮细胞释放各种上皮源性细胞因子，有效激活树突状细胞（dendritic cell，DC）和Ⅱ型固有免疫淋巴细胞（type Ⅱ innate lymphoid cell，ILC），从而引发后续辅助性T细胞2免疫级联反应，导致哮喘发生。鉴于气道上皮细胞在哮喘中的上述作用，针对气道上皮细胞来源的细胞因子，如胸腺基质淋巴细胞生成素（thymic stromal lymphopoietin，TSLP）等的靶向治疗药物也逐渐投入临床应用。该文针对气道上皮细胞在哮喘发病机制中的作用，及以气道上皮细胞为潜在靶点的治疗在未来的临床应用进行综述。

Asthma is a common chronic respiratory disease, and as a heterogeneous disease, it is driven by a combination of immune, genetic, and environmental factors and involves multiple cells. In recent years, there has been increasing evidence that airway epithelial cells play a core role in the pathogenesis of asthma. As the first line of defense of the respiratory system against the external environment, airway epithelial cells mainly prevent harmful stimuli from entering through various intercellular connections and remove harmful foreign factors such as allergens and viruses through the mucus and cilia system and the antimicrobial peptides. The airway epithelial barrier can be disrupted when the airway mucosa is exposed to foreign harmful stimuli, and epithelial cells can release various epithelial-derived cytokines that effectively activate dendritic cells and type Ⅱ innate lymphoid cells, thereby triggering a subsequent helper T cell 2 immune cascade response that leads to the development of asthma. In view of these roles of airway epithelial cells in asthma, targeted therapeutic agents targeting the cytokines from airway epithelial cells such as thymic stromal lymphopoietin, are gradually coming into clinical use. This article reviews the role of airway epithelial cells in the pathogenesis of asthma and the future clinical applications of therapies targeting airway epithelial cells as potential targets.