Role of epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) |
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| Authors: | Sukhwinder Singh Sohal Eugene Haydn Walters |
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| Affiliation: | 1.NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence for Chronic Respiratory Disease, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart 7000, Australia;2.NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence in Chronic Respiratory Disease, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, MS1, 17 Liverpool Street, Private Bag 23, Hobart, Tasmania 7000, Australia |
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| Abstract: | Small airway fibrosis is the main contributor to physiological airway dysfunction in COPD. One potential mechanism contributing to small airway fibrosis is epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT). When associated with angiogenesis (so called EMT-Type-3) it may well also be the link with the development of cancer, which is closely associated with COPD and predominantly in large airways. In a recent study published in Respiratory Research, Qin Wang and colleagues investigated the role of urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) in EMT in small airway epithelium of COPD patients. However, there are some issues with the paper which we wish to comment on. |
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| Keywords: | Epithelial mesenchymal transition Small airways Large airways COPD Lung cancer Vimentin |
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