Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of Chronic Respiratory and Allergic Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Chronic respiratory disorders, such as lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung fibrosis, asthma, or pulmonary hypertension (PH), are responsible for a significant portion of deaths worldwide. Likewise, allergic conditions other than asthma, for instance, allergic rhinitis, atopic dermatitis, or food allergy, lead to a substantial worsening of health-related quality of life in patients and considerable socio-economic burden to the affected families and healthcare systems. Various mechanisms and pathways, including those related to innate or adaptive immunity and/or immunometabolism or coagulation, underlie the pathogenesis of chronic diseases of the airways and allergic disorders. In recent decades, it has become apparent that the interaction between genetic background and beneficial (e.g., some diets) or adverse (e.g., pollution) environmental influences, frequently epigenetically mediated, plays a fundamental etiological role in the origins and progression of chronic lung and allergic diseases. Furthermore, current literature reports dysregulation of developmental pathways in chronic lung diseases and thereby suggests the importance of homeostatic mechanisms for lung structural and functional integrity in adult life. Other studies focus on the interactions between lung, skin, and gut microbiota, including bacteria, fungi, parasites, viruses, and archaea, and their influence on respiratory and allergic diseases. Despite considerable progress in our understanding of the mechanistic basis of those disorders achieved in recent years, a lot remains to be done to achieve substantial diagnostic and therapeutic advances in patient management. Therefore, the scope of this Topic focuses on recent findings in molecular and cellular pathogenesis, diagnostic methods, and treatment and prevention of chronic inflammatory lung and allergic diseases.

Prof. Dr. Malgorzata Wygrecka
Dr. Daniel P. Potaczek
Dr. Bilal Alashkar Alhamwe
Dr. Stefan Hadžić
Topic Editors