Apoptosis in lung pathophysiology

As recently as 1993, fewer than 10 manuscripts had been published on the to pic of apoptosis specifically in the lung. Although that number is increasi ng, far fewer papers appear each year on apoptosis in the lung than in the other major organs. Therefore, our knowledge of this important aspect of lu ng cell physiology is relatively rudimentary. Recent literature is beginnin g to define important roles for apoptosis in normal lung cell turnover, lun g development, and the pathogenesis of diseases such as interstitial pulmon ary fibrosis, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Although the involvement of lung cell apoptosis in each of these examples seems clear, the many factors comprising the normal and a bnormal regulation of cell death remain to be elucidated and are likely to be different in each situation. The definition of those factors will be an exciting and challenging field of research for many years to come. In that context, the goal of this symposium was to discuss, from a physiological pe rspective, some of the most recent and exciting advances in the definition of signaling mechanisms involved in the regulation of apoptosis specificall y in lung cell populations.