Abstract: This invention relates to methods of treatment of inflammatory airway disease, and in particular to methods of treatment of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The invention is applicable to both allergic (atopic) and non-allergic (intrinsic) asthma. In one form the method comprises the step of administering an effective amount of a compound which has the ability to inhibit one or more functions of the T cell receptor (TCR) to a subject in need of such treatment, which is preferably a peptide whose sequence is derived from an invariant region of (a) the TCR? transmembrane domain; (b) the TCR? transmembrane domain; (c) the TCR? intracellular domain; or (d) the CD3-?, -?, -?, ? or ? chain.