Acute lung injury: an integrated view of molecular drivers, immune dysregulation, and emerging therapeutic strategies
7 affiliations
- 1Central Hospital, Tianjin University
- 2Tianjin Key Laboratory of Extracorporeal Life Support for Critical Diseases
- 3Tianjin Artificial Cell Engineering Technology Research Center
- 4Tianjin First Central Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Nankai University
- 5Tianjin Institute of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine for Critical Care and Emergency Medicine
- 6First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine
- 7National Clinical Research Center for Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion
Abstract
Acute lung injury (ALI, a term widely used in preclinical animal studies, while the clinical definition of ALI was eliminated in the Berlin criteria) and its severe human clinical counterpart, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), constitute life-threatening clinical syndromes characterized by diffuse alveolar damage, pulmonary edema, and severe hypoxemia. These conditions are associated with dismal mortality rates and significantly impair patient survival and recovery. Over the past decades, advancements in critical care medicine and molecular biology have deepened our understanding of the pathological mechanisms underlying ALI and ARDS. Aberrantly activated signaling pathways and molecular and cellular events have emerged as key elements to decipher core pathogenic processes, identify early biomarkers, and develop novel therapeutic strategies. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of ALI and ARDS, encompassing their definition, historical context, epidemiology, and common etiological factors, with a focus on recent advances in pathological mechanisms, signaling pathways, epigenetic regulation, and therapeutic interventions. Treatment approaches include lung-protective ventilation, fluid management, targeted pharmacotherapy, mesenchymal stromal cell therapy, and nanomaterial-based delivery systems. These developments offer valuable insights into the complex mechanisms of preclinical ALI and human ARDS and contribute to the advancement of clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Related
- Integrated multi-omics analysis reveals the molecular landscape and therapeutic strategies in Chinese cervical cancer patients
- Inflammatory biomarkers and immune dysregulation in gestational diabetes mellitus: emerging mechanisms and therapeutic prospects
- Anti-interferon-γ autoantibodies: immunopathogenesis, diagnostic innovation, and emerging therapeutic strategies in an adult-onset immunodeficiency
- Special Issue: Molecular Therapeutic Strategies in Allergic Diseases
- Integrated strategies for enhanced drought tolerance in tomato: from molecular mechanisms to field applications
BibTeX
@article{wang2026acute,
title = {{Acute lung injury: an integrated view of molecular drivers, immune dysregulation, and emerging therapeutic strategies}},
author = {Aihua Wang and Haizhao Liu and Chengfen Yin and Yawen Song and Yue Jin and Lei Xu and Siwei Wang and Jiaxin Li and Xiping Guo and Yongli Ma and Yutong Jin and Wei Liu and Ximo Wang},
journal = {Frontiers in Immunology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fimmu.2026.1937966},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1937966/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Acute lung injury: an integrated view of molecular drivers, immune dysregulation, and emerging therapeutic strategies
AU - Aihua Wang
AU - Haizhao Liu
AU - Chengfen Yin
AU - Yawen Song
AU - Yue Jin
AU - Lei Xu
AU - Siwei Wang
AU - Jiaxin Li
AU - Xiping Guo
AU - Yongli Ma
AU - Yutong Jin
AU - Wei Liu
AU - Ximo Wang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/09
JO - Frontiers in Immunology
DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1937966
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1937966/full
AB - Acute lung injury (ALI, a term widely used in preclinical animal studies, while the clinical definition of ALI was eliminated in the Berlin criteria) and its severe human clinical counterpart, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), constitute life-threatening clinical syndromes characterized by diffuse alveolar damage, pulmonary edema, and severe hypoxemia. These conditions are associated with dismal mortality rates and significantly impair patient survival and recovery. Over the past decades, advancements in critical care medicine and molecular biology have deepened our understanding of the pathological mechanisms underlying ALI and ARDS. Aberrantly activated signaling pathways and molecular and cellular events have emerged as key elements to decipher core pathogenic processes, identify early biomarkers, and develop novel therapeutic strategies. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of ALI and ARDS, encompassing their definition, historical context, epidemiology, and common etiological factors, with a focus on recent advances in pathological mechanisms, signaling pathways, epigenetic regulation, and therapeutic interventions. Treatment approaches include lung-protective ventilation, fluid management, targeted pharmacotherapy, mesenchymal stromal cell therapy, and nanomaterial-based delivery systems. These developments offer valuable insights into the complex mechanisms of preclinical ALI and human ARDS and contribute to the advancement of clinical diagnosis and treatment.
SN - 1664-3224
ER -