Toward Precision Modeling of Cough-Variant Asthma: Standardized Murine Models, Multidimensional Evaluation, and Translational Applications

Cough-variant asthma (CVA), a distinct asthma phenotype characterized by chronic cough as the predominant symptom, presents unique clinical and pathophysiological features. The development of accurate murine models is essential for elucidating its underlying mechanisms and evaluating therapeutic interventions. While animal models remain indispensable tools for studying human disease pathogenesis, current bronchial asthma models inadequately recapitulate CVA-specific pathology. Notably, CVA represents the most common etiology of chronic cough in children and shares core pathogenic mechanisms with classic asthma-including chronic airway inflammation, airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR), and remodeling. Despite established protocols for typical asthma modeling, standardized CVA-specific models are lacking. This review synthesizes current methodologies for establishing CVA murine models, evaluates modeling success criteria, and analyzes commonly employed sensitizers/induction approaches. We further examine physiological, immunological, and molecular assessment parameters, proposing a comprehensive evaluation framework based on inflammatory cell profiles, AHR, and cytokine expression. Such standardization is critical for advancing precision in CVA model development.