Chronic lung diseases (CLD) such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cause a huge and worldwide burden. Despite intensive research efforts, current therapies can treat symptoms but are unable to cure the diseases or prevent their development. Homeostasis in the healthy lung requires a highly coordinated interaction among the epithelium, adjacent immune cells, and the local microbiota. However, the precise regulation of this cellular cross-talk in health but also upon tissue injury, infections or CLD are so far poorly understood. A mechanistic understanding of these cell-cell and cell-microbe communications in the lung microenvironment will create the prerequisites for the development of novel preventative strategies or therapies for CLD.
Therefore, this Research Topic will focus on different aspects of cellular communication strategies in the lung microenvironment in health & disease. We encourage scientists from different fields to submit their work, particularly on the contribution of soluble factors (e.g. cytokines, chemokines), the inter-cellular transfer of extracellular vesicles, and the influence of microbial factors and/or the reciprocal interactions of communication pathways in the lung microenvironment. Reviews are also welcome.
Chronic lung diseases (CLD) such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) cause a huge and worldwide burden. Despite intensive research efforts, current therapies can treat symptoms but are unable to cure the diseases or prevent their development. Homeostasis in the healthy lung requires a highly coordinated interaction among the epithelium, adjacent immune cells, and the local microbiota. However, the precise regulation of this cellular cross-talk in health but also upon tissue injury, infections or CLD are so far poorly understood. A mechanistic understanding of these cell-cell and cell-microbe communications in the lung microenvironment will create the prerequisites for the development of novel preventative strategies or therapies for CLD.
Therefore, this Research Topic will focus on different aspects of cellular communication strategies in the lung microenvironment in health & disease. We encourage scientists from different fields to submit their work, particularly on the contribution of soluble factors (e.g. cytokines, chemokines), the inter-cellular transfer of extracellular vesicles, and the influence of microbial factors and/or the reciprocal interactions of communication pathways in the lung microenvironment. Reviews are also welcome.