Advances in Chronic Airway Disease

Dear Colleagues,

Chronic airway diseases, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), are prevalent chronic inflammatory pulmonary diseases with high personal and social impacts. Exposome, microbiome, genome, and epigenome are all important in the pathogenesis. Bronchial epithelial cells are the frontline barrier against inhaled noxious agents and microorganisms, and may be responsible for inducing the downstream cellular and non-cellular responses in the airway microenvironment. Immune cells may be recruited into the microenvironment, secreting mediators, such as immunoglobulin E, cytokines, and chemokines, and affect other cells in the microenvironment, such as fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells. Collectively, these cells and their interactions contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic airway disease. With wider use of newer study tools, such as next-generation sequencing and single-cell analyses, we are able to understand the detailed pathogenic mechanisms in the airway microenvironment.

Chronic airway disease presents with various endotypes and phenotypes. Results of pulmonary function tests are important in the diagnosis, as well as in assessing the risk of exacerbation. Overlaps between several types of chronic airway disease are usually associated with poorer control and require sophisticated care. The comorbidities, such as sleep apnea, gastrointestinal dysfunction, depression, osteoporosis, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disorders, should also be managed properly to achieve better disease control. In addition to bronchodilators and inhaled corticosteroids, novel therapeutic agents, particularly biologic agents, are available for the treatment of chronic airway disease. The identification of various treatable traits, which help us understand the endotypes and phenotypes through validated biomarkers, provides us a better chance to tailor precision medicine for patients.

This Special Issue will offer an overview of the recent advancements in the field of chronic airway diseases. Outstanding experts interested in this Special Issue are invited to submit original manuscripts and reviews dealing with any of the aforementioned aspects.

Dr. Ming-Ju Tsai
Guest Editor

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• asthma
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• bronchiectasis
• microenvironment
• inflammation
• microRNA
• comorbidity
• treatable trait
• precision medicine