COPD

[Scientific Reports] Researchers elucidated the overall smoking-induced miRNA changes and those specific to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).They investigated the downstream effects on regulatory gene expression and the correlation to cellular composition.

[Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle] The authors examined the involvement of insufficient Parkin-mediated mitophagy, a mitochondrion-selective autophagy, in the mechanisms by which dysfunctional mitochondria accumulated with excessive reactive oxygen species production in the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-related sarcopenia.

[European Respiratory Review] The authors discuss the molecular and immunological mechanisms involved in physical barrier disruption induced by major airborne pollutants and outline their implications in the pathogenesis of asthma and COPD.

[Science Advances] Scientists used a transcriptomics-guided drug target discovery strategy using gene signatures of smoking-associated COPD and from mice chronically exposed to cigarette smoke, identifying druggable targets expressed in alveolar epithelial progenitors, of which they screened the function in lung organoids.

[Thorax] Given that COPD often shares structural features with Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome, scientists investigated the link between COPD, cigarette smoke exposure and folliculin gene expression.

[American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology] To assess methylation profiles in the main COPD target organ, investigators performed an epigenome-wide association study on bronchoalveolar lavage cells.