Abstract
Lung development is mediated by assorted signaling proteins and orchestrated by complex mesenchymal-epithelial interactions. Notch signaling is an evolutionarily conserved cell-cell communication mechanism that exhibits a pivotal role in lung development. Notably, both aberrant expression and loss of regulation of Notch signaling are critically linked to the pathogenesis of various lung diseases, in particular, pulmonary fibrosis, lung cancer, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and asthmatic airway remodeling; implying that precise regulation of intensity and duration of Notch signaling is imperative for appropriate lung development. Moreover, evidence suggests that Notch signaling links embryonic lung development and asthmatic airway remodeling. Herein, we summarized all-recent advances associated with the mechanistic role of Notch signaling in lung development, consequences of aberrant expression or deletion of Notch signaling in linking early-impaired lung development and asthmatic airway remodeling, and all recently investigated potential therapeutic strategies to treat asthmatic airway remodeling.
Footnotes
- Received August 14, 2017.
- Accepted October 11, 2017.
This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [81170016, 81170787, 81200022, 81200023, 81270067, 31571493, 81571928]; and Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province [LY13H150002, LY12H16005]. All authors have no conflicts of interest.
- Copyright © 2017 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics
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