title: Aging and Lung Disease. Clinical Impact and Cellular and Molecular Pathways.
abstract: With the expected rapid growth of the aging population worldwide, there is a clear need to understand the complex process of aging to develop interventions that might extend the health span in this group of patients. Aging is associated with increased susceptibility to a variety of chronic diseases, and lung pathologies are no exception. The prevalence of lung diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been found to increase considerably with age. In October 2014, the Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care of the University of Pittsburgh cohosted the Pittsburgh-Munich Lung Conference focused in aging and lung disease with the Comprehensive Pneumology Center, Institute of Lung Biology and Disease, Ludwig-Maximilians University and Helmholtz Zentrum Munich Germany. The purpose of the conference was to disseminate novel concepts in aging mechanisms that have an impact in lung physiology and pathogenesis of pulmonary diseases that commonly occur in older populations. The conference included 28 presentations on diverse topics, which are summarized in this report. The participants identified priorities for future basic and translational investigations that will assist in the identification of molecular insights involved in the pathogenesis of age-related pulmonary diseases and the design of therapeutic interventions for these lung conditions.
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and.|2 Dorothy P. and Richard P. Simmons Center for Interstitial Lung Diseases, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and.
authors.forename: Mauricio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rojas
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and.|3 Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Ana L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Mora
authors.affiliation: 3 Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kapetanaki
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and.
authors.forename: Nathaniel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Weathington
authors.affiliation: 1 Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, and.|3 Vascular Medicine Institute, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gladwin
authors.affiliation: 4 Comprehensive Pneumology Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-University and Helmholtz Zentrum München, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Eickelberg
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D019468:Disease Management; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: aging; lung disease; lung repair