| Abstrakt: |
A recent report from the University of Michigan provides new insights into pulmonary fibrosis, a progressive scarring disease of the lungs. The research focuses on the role of transitional alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) and the regulation of keratins in the development of fibrosis. The study found that genetic variants of keratin 8 (KRT8) were associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and mice lacking KRT8 were protected from fibrosis. The research suggests that a positive feedback loop involving macrophages and myofibroblasts drives fibrogenesis in IPF. Additionally, the study found that transitional AECs in human IPF exhibit an aberrant basaloid state that persists with progressive fibrosis. [Extracted from the article] |
