Airway inflammation and remodelling was induced in female Balb/c mice sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA) in alum as previously described [18 (link)]. Prolonged inflammation was induced by subsequent exposure to aerosolized OVA (5%) three times a week for 20 min until groups of mice were sacrificed on days 35 and 55. A therapeutic regimen was instigated by initiating Budesonide treatment (Pulmicort, AstraZeneca, UK, 1mg/kg intra peritonial (i.p.)) on day 26, after the establishment of considerable lung eosinophilia and airway hyper-reactivity. Control mice received the same dose of vehicle (phosphate-buffered saline (PBS)). Mice were sacrificed on day 35 (after four doses of Budesonide and OVA challenges) or on day 55 (after 13 Budesonide doses and OVA challenges). For comparison in some figures, we have included two more groups of mice: mice which have been sensitized and challenged through the airways with OVA but sacrificed on day 24 of the acute phase of allergic inflammation (day 24 group) and mice which have been given a sham immunization with alum alone (alum group) and challenged with OVA before sacrifice on day 55. The challenge and treatment protocol is shown in Fig. 1.