Obesity-associated inflammation in lung disease: pathogenesis, phenotypes, and therapies

Obesity is a modifiable risk factor for a number of conditions, including inflammatory and malignant lung disease, and is now considered a worldwide epidemic. A hallmark of obesity is chronic systemic immune dysfunction, caused primarily by abnormal adipose tissue function, which is thought to contribute to lung inflammation, remodelling, and tumour growth and metastasis.

Epidemiological studies show an association between obesity and incidence, severity and poor therapeutic control of asthma. Obesity is also associated with increased morbidity and mortality risk in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Furthermore, obesity is a major risk factor for lung cancer development and may influence treatment response and survival. However, some studies report that obese COPD and lung cancer patients show a lower risk of mortality, compared to non-obese patients, a phenomenon termed the “obesity paradox.”

As the prevalence of obesity continues to rise globally, its impact on respiratory health is an area of great scientific and clinical interest. Understanding the interplay between adipose tissue, inflammation and lung physiology and pathophysiology will clarify the complex relationship between obesity and lung disease and highlight new therapeutic opportunities.

This Research Topic aims to explore the complex relationship between adipose tissue dysfunction, inflammation, and chronic inflammatory and malignant lung disease.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:
• The role of adipose tissue–derived cytokines, adipokines, and other mediators, in modulating lung inflammation and remodelling in chronic inflammatory lung diseases
• Adipose tissue accumulation in the lungs and its effect on pulmonary immune responses
• Impact of obesity and adipose-driven inflammation on asthma and COPD treatment
• Emerging data on obesity and asthma and COPD immune endotypes
• The influence of adipose-driven inflammation on lung cancer development, progression, and metastasis
• The effect of obesity and adipose-dependent inflammatory mediators on the lung tumour microenvironment
• The impact of obesity-dependent inflammation on the therapeutic efficacy and adverse effects of lung cancer therapy

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
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• ... View all formats

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Article types

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

• Brief Research Report
• Case Report
• Classification
• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Obesity, adipose tissue, lung disease, asthma, COPD, lung cancer, inflammation

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.