0000000000134761
AUTHOR
Aurelie Fabre
Optimising experimental research in respiratory diseases: an ERS statement
Experimental models are critical for the understanding of lung health and disease and are indispensable for drug development. However, the pathogenetic and clinical relevance of the models is often unclear. Further, the use of animals in biomedical research is controversial from an ethical perspective.The objective of this task force was to issue a statement with research recommendations about lung disease models by facilitating in-depth discussions between respiratory scientists, and to provide an overview of the literature on the available models. Focus was put on their specific benefits and limitations. This will result in more efficient use of resources and greater reduction in the numb…
The small heat-shock protein α B-crystallin is essential for the nuclear localization of Smad4: impact on pulmonary fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a devastating disease characterized by the proliferation of myofibroblasts and the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) in the lungs. TGF-β1 is the major profibrotic cytokine involved in IPF and is responsible for myofibroblast proliferation and differentiation and ECM synthesis. αB-crystallin is constitutively expressed in the lungs and is inducible by stress, acts as a chaperone and is known to play a role in cell cytoskeleton architecture homeostasis. The role of αB-crystallin in fibrogenesis remains unknown. The principal signalling pathway involved in this process is the Smad-dependent pathway. We demonstrate here that αB-crystallin is stron…