A dual role of fibroblast-epithelial crosstalk in acute and chronic lung injury.

ABSTRACT: Dysfunctional interactions between fibroblasts and epithelial cells contribute to the progression of chronic lung diseases, including idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). In this study, we developed an air-liquid interface coculture model of human-derived small airway epithelial cells and lung fibroblasts to investigate intercellular dynamics during disease progression. Our findings showed that chronic epithelial damage initiates a bidirectional fibrotic cascade between the epithelium and the lung fibroblasts, exacerbating epithelial injury and the release of pro-fibrotic mediators. Conversely, our transcriptomic and proteomic analyses revealed that, in the context of acute epithelial injury, a protective signaling environment emerges that mitigates further damage. By delineating secreted

SUBMITTER: Bammert MT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12305243 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature