Neurotrophins in lung health and disease.
Neurotrophins (NTs) are a family of growth factors that are well-known in the nervous system. There is increasing recognition that NTs (nerve growth factor, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and NT3) and their receptors (high-affinity TrkA, TrkB and TrkC, and low-affinity p75NTR) are expressed in lung components including the nasal and bronchial epithelium, smooth muscle, nerves and immune cells. NT signaling may be important in normal lung development, developmental lung disease, allergy and inflammation (e.g., rhinitis, asthma), lung fibrosis and even lung cancer. In this review, we describe the current status of our understanding of NT signaling in the lung, with hopes of using aspects of the NT signaling pathway in the diagnosis and therapy of lung diseases.
Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. prakash.ys@mayo.edu
Ys
Y
Prakash
Michael A
MA
Thompson
Lucas
L
Meuchel
Christina M
CM
Pabelick
Carlos B
CB
Mantilla
Syed
S
Zaidi
Richard J
RJ
Martin
D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction
D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D017475:Receptors, Nerve Growth Factor