title: The role of Toll-like receptors in age-associated lung diseases.
abstract: The aging lung is faced with unique challenges. The lungs are the only internal organ with a direct interface with both the internal and the external environments and as a consequence are constantly sampling diverse, potentially injurious, elements. Therefore, the lungs have evolved a sophisticated, multilayered detection system to distinguish low-level, nonharmful signals from those that are toxic. A family of innate immune receptors, Toll-like receptors (TLRs), appears to serve such a function. Initially described as pattern-recognition receptors that recognize and protect against microbes, TLRs can also respond to diverse, nonmicrobial signals. The role of Toll-like receptors in noninfectious, age-related chronic lung disease is poorly understood. This review presents our current understanding of the biology of age-related lung diseases with a focus on the role of Toll-like receptors in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and late-onset asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Section of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, 333 Cedar Street, PO Box 208057, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volkova
authors.forename: Yitao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Albert C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Patty J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D054990:Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D051193:Toll-Like Receptors