Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Paving the Way to Lung Cancer.

ABSTRACT: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), the frequently fatal pathology of the respiratory tract, accounts for half a billion cases globally. COPD manifests via chronic inflammatory response to irritants, frequently to tobacco smoke. The progression of COPD from early onset to advanced disease leads to the loss of the alveolar wall, pulmonary hypertension, and fibrosis of the respiratory epithelium. Here, we focus on the epidemiology, progression, and biomarkers of COPD with a particular connection to lung cancer. Dissecting the cellular and molecular players in the progression of the disease, we aim to shed light on the role of smoking, which is responsible for the disease, or at least for the more severe symptoms and worse patient outcomes. We summarize the inflammatory conditions,

SUBMITTER: Szalontai K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8268950 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature