Asthma is a major inflammatory airway disease with high incidence and mortality 
rates. The Global Initiative for Asthma released a report called 'The Global 
Burden of Asthma' in 2004. However, the specific pathogenesis of asthma remains 
unclear. An increasing number of studies have demonstrated that neuromedin U 
(NMU) plays a pleiotropic role in the pathogenesis of asthma. NMU is a highly 
structurally conserved neuropeptide that was first purified from porcine spinal 
cord and named for its contractile effect on the rat uterus. NMU amplifies type 
2 innate lymphoid cell (ILC2)-driven allergic lung inflammation. The NMU 
receptors (NMURs), designated as NMUR1 and NMUR2, belong to the G 
protein-coupled receptor family. NMUR1 has also been found in immune cells, 
including ILC2s, mast cells and eosinophils. In view of the important roles of 
NMU in the pathogenesis of asthma, the present review evaluates the potential 
mechanisms underlying the impact of NMU on asthma and its association with 
asthma therapy.