title: Repair and Remodeling of airway epithelium after injury in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
abstract: COPD is thought to develop as a result of chronic exposure to cigarette smoke, occupational or other environmental hazards and it comprises both airways and parenchyma. Acute infections or chronic colonization of airways with bacteria may also contribute to development and/or progression of COPD lung disease. Airway epithelium is the primary target for the inhaled environmental factors and pathogens. The repetitive injury as a result of chronic exposure to environmental factors may result in persistent activation of pathways involved in airway epithelial repair, such as epithelial to mesenchymal transition, altered migration and proliferation of progenitor cells, and abnormal redifferentiation leading to airway remodeling. Development of model systems which mimics chronic airways disease as observed in COPD is required to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the abnormal airway epithelial repair that are specific to COPD and to also develop novel therapies focused on airway epithelial repair.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
authors.forename: Shyamala
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ganesan
authors.forename: Uma S
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Sajjan
keywords: EGFR; EMT; airway progenitor cells; asthma; barrier function; cigarette smoke; innate immunity; mucociliary clearance; mucus hyperplasia; mucus metaplasia; respiratory infection