2 , RO061606 (which is ineffective against mGX-sPLA 2 ), to assess the potential utility of GX-sPLA 2 blockade as a therapeutic intervention in asthma. Delivery of RO061606 via mini-osmotic pumps enabled the maintenance in vivo in the mouse asthma model of plasma inhibitor concentrations near 10 M, markedly higher than the IC 50 for inhibition of hGX-sPLA 2 in vitro. RO061606 significantly decreased allergen-induced airway inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, and hyperresponsiveness in the hGXsPLA 2 ؉/؉ knock-in mouse. Thus, development of specific hGXsPLA 2 inhibitors may provide a new pharmacological opportunity for the treatment of patients with asthma.The liberation of arachidonic acid from the sn-2 position of cell membrane phospholipids by phospholipases A 2 for the biosynthesis of eicosanoids (prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and others) is a well established process. Studies with genetically altered mice and small molecular weight inhibitors have established that cytosolic phospholipase A 2 ␣ (cPLA 2 ␣ 3 ; group IVA PLA 2 ) can mediate arachidonate release, leading to eicosanoids in a variety of mammalian cells stimulated with a diverse set of agonists (1). There are five other isoforms of this enzyme, but the physiological functions of these isoforms have not been established. The mammalian genome also encodes a large number of secreted PLA 2 s (sPLA 2 s) (2). The functions of most of these enzymes are not yet known, but increasing evidence supports a role of the group X (GX) sPLA 2 in arachidonate release, leading to eicosanoids.In a mouse model of asthma that is driven by Th2 cytokines, we found a major effect of mouse GX (mGX)-sPLA 2 deficiency (3). In this initial study of allergen (i.e. ovalbumin (OVA))-induced airway inflammation in the mGX-sPLA 2 -deficient mouse, OVA-treated mGX-sPLA 2 Ϫ/Ϫ mice compared with wild-type mice had a marked reduction in interstitial edema and the influx of eosinophils and other inflammatory cells, including CD4 ϩ and CD8 ϩ T cells, into the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid and lung tissue. Whereas mGX-sPLA 2 ϩ/ϩ mice had significant airway hyperresponsiveness to methacholine and remodeling, including goblet cell metaplasia and mucus hypersecretion after OVA challenge, these features of the asthma phenotype were not present in mGX-sPLA 2 Ϫ/Ϫ mice (3). Th2 cytokine expression is a molecular hallmark of asthma. Levels of Th2 cytokines IL-4, IL-5, and IL-13 in the lungs were decreased in mGX-sPLA 2 Ϫ/Ϫ mice compared with wild-type controls after OVA treatment. Furthermore, the cyclooxygenase products prostaglandin E 2 and prostaglandin D 2 and the 5-lipoxygenase products leukotriene B 4 and cysteinyl leukotrienes C 4 , D 4 , and E 4 of arachidonic acid metabolism were significantly reduced in mGX-sPLA 2 Ϫ/Ϫ mice after OVA treatment compared with wild-type controls (3). These data indicated that mGX-sPLA 2 plays a key role in eicosanoid generation and that the decreased release of arachidonate metabolites secondary to mGX-sPLA 2 deficiency impairs the Th2 responses in this ...