Recent advances in the pathogenesis of BPD

Area of Science:

• Neonatal Medicine
• Pediatric Pulmonology
• Developmental Biology

Background:

• Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a common complication of preterm birth, characterized by impaired lung alveolarization.
• Infants born extremely preterm are at high risk for BPD, necessitating deeper understanding of its underlying mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in understanding the pathomechanisms of stunted lung development in BPD.
• To discuss current challenges and new developments in modeling BPD.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent research on BPD pathomechanisms.
• Examination of studies on growth factor signaling, oxidative stress, inflammation, extracellular matrix, non-coding RNA, and cell plasticity.
• Analysis of experimental animal and in vitro models for BPD.

Main Results:

• Recent studies highlight roles for growth factor signaling, oxidative stress, inflammation, ECM remodeling, non-coding RNA, and fibroblast/epithelial cell plasticity in BPD.
• Concerns regarding the validity of experimental animal models for BPD are discussed.
• New in vitro models show promise for studying BPD-related lung alveolarization defects.

Conclusions:

• Continued research into BPD pathomechanisms is crucial for improving outcomes in preterm infants.
• Advancements in both in vivo and in vitro modeling are essential for future BPD research and therapeutic development.