Bridging Respiratory Health and Systemic Disease through Environmental and Infectious Interactions

Respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, and lung cancer, remain a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The pathogenesis and exacerbation of these diseases are heavily influenced by external factors, primarily environmental exposures and infectious agents. Renowned environmental triggers like air pollution, cigarette smoke, and occupational hazards are known contributors to lung damage and cancer development. Conversely, infectious agents such as viruses, bacteria, and particularly Mycobacterium tuberculosis, play crucial roles in the onset, exacerbation, and prolonged impact of these diseases. Tuberculosis, a persistent global challenge, exacerbates respiratory disorders and heightens vulnerability to airway obstruction and cancer development.

Beyond the respiratory system, new research indicates that chronic lung conditions can adversely affect systemic health, linking chronic lung inflammation and infection to cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, autoimmune dysfunction, and malignancies. For instance, chronic inflammation and immune dysregulation can initiate tumors in the lung, with TB survivors facing increased risks of fibrosis and systemic complications. Consequently, the lung is a crucial intersection where environmental and infectious triggers impact overall health. Understanding these interactions could lead to innovations in prevention, diagnostics, and therapies.

This Research Topic aims to converge advanced research on how environmental and infectious elements contribute to respiratory and systemic diseases. We invite original research, clinical studies, systematic reviews, and translational perspectives that address:

• Mechanistic insights into the interplay between pollutants, respiratory pathogens (including M. tuberculosis), and lung inflammation.

• Post-infectious sequelae such as fibrosis, chronic airflow limitation, TB-related damage, and long-COVID.

• Lung–systemic interactions linking respiratory disease with cardiovascular, metabolic, or immune dysfunction, and with lung cancer.

• Biomarkers, imaging, and digital tools for predicting susceptibility and monitoring disease progression.

• Preventive and therapeutic strategies, from vaccination and pollution reduction to occupational protection, TB control, and novel pharmacological or immunological approaches.

By incorporating molecular, clinical, and epidemiological perspectives, this Research Topic highlights the pivotal role of the lung in driving and being impacted by various pathologies. This endeavor aims to inform strategies designed to reduce the burden of respiratory and systemic diseases amidst rising environmental challenges and continuing infectious threats.

This Research Topic welcomes submissions in the form of original research, clinical studies, systematic reviews, and translational perspectives.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Methods
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Clinical Trial
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Chronic respiratory disease, Environmental exposures, Lung cancer, Systemic comorbidities, Lung–systemic interactions

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.