Critical Issue on Lung Health

Dear Colleagues,

Currently, in highly industrialized countries, we are observing a significant increase in upper and lower respiratory tract diseases. This is due to the influence of external factors in the form of air pollution with suspended particulate matter and dust from the abrasion of surfaces and tires (where there are polymer compounds with a mutagenic effect on the cells of the upper and lower respiratory tract). The dynamic growth of the aforementioned diseases due to the COVID-19 epidemic should also be taken into account. Acute COVID-19 diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract are diseases with chronic features that may cause symptoms similar to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or allergic lung diseases, i.e., bronchial asthma, and therefore be confused with these diseases. Undoubtedly, the next aspect in the field of diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract is the increase in malignant neoplasms. There are three main lung cancer types: squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, and small cell carcinoma. The first group of malignancies is conditioned by external factors such as smoking and exposure to the aforementioned mutagenic compounds. On the other hand, glandular tumors and small cell carcinoma can develop without exposure to external factors. Currently, there is a dynamic increase in the incidence of the second and third groups of malignant tumors in women, and this phenomenon is observed all over the world. Undoubtedly, learning the biology of these diseases at the level of clinical trials is very important for further therapy. For further therapy at the molecular level, modern medicine has tools in the field of circumatomic physics, such as X-ray electron microscopy, laser-based spectroscopy, or X-ray spectroscopy, which enable the observation of biological objects, including tumors, and drawing conclusions as to their pathology, and thus treatment options. This Special Issue devoted to lung diseases is aimed at diseases of the lower respiratory tract of any etiology, including those of circulatory origin, such as pulmonary hypertension or pulmonary arterial hypertension, cancerous lesions induced by various factors, including microdusts, microplastics, and organic compounds, as well as lung diseases of unknown etiology.

Prof. Dr. Andrzej Szymon Swinarew
Dr. Jarosław Paluch
Guest Editors

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• lung diseases
• lower respiratory tract
• lung cancer
• Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)
• Pulmonary Hypertension (PH)
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)