The aging lung: Physiology, disease, and immunity

The population is aging at a rate never seen before in human history. As the number of elderly adults grows, it is imperative we expand our understanding of the underpinnings of aging biology. Human lungs are composed of a unique panoply of cell types that face ongoing chemical, mechanical, biologic...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cell 2021-04, Vol.184 (8), p.1990-2019
Main Authors: Schneider, Jaime L., Rowe, Jared H., Garcia-de-Alba, Carolina, Kim, Carla F., Sharpe, Arlene H., Haigis, Marcia C.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptive Immunity
Aged
aging
Aging - immunology
Aging - pathology
Cellular Senescence
COPD
COVID-19
COVID-19 - immunology
COVID-19 - pathology
healthspan
Humans
immunity
inflammaging
lung
Lung - immunology
Lung - pathology
lung cancer
Lung Diseases - immunology
Lung Diseases - pathology
metabolism
Oxidative Stress
proteostasis
pulmonary fibrosis
Review
senescence
stress response
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Summary:The population is aging at a rate never seen before in human history. As the number of elderly adults grows, it is imperative we expand our understanding of the underpinnings of aging biology. Human lungs are composed of a unique panoply of cell types that face ongoing chemical, mechanical, biological, immunological, and xenobiotic stress over a lifetime. Yet, we do not fully appreciate the mechanistic drivers of lung aging and why age increases the risk of parenchymal lung disease, fatal respiratory infection, and primary lung cancer. Here, we review the molecular and cellular aspects of lung aging, local stress response pathways, and how the aging process predisposes to the pathogenesis of pulmonary disease. We place these insights into context of the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss how innate and adaptive immunity within the lung is altered with age. Recent cellular and molecular studies have given insight into why the incidence and/or severity of many lung diseases, from lung cancer to COVID-19, increase with age.
ISSN:0092-8674
1097-4172
DOI:10.1016/j.cell.2021.03.005