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Updated: Jan 17, 2026

Viral Tracing of Genetically Defined Neural Circuitry
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Scar wars: the viral menace

Sara Kass-Gergi1,2,3, Nicolas P Holcomb4,2,3, Michael M Maiden5,2,3

  • 1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.

American Journal of Physiology. Lung Cellular and Molecular Physiology
|September 22, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Viral infections like COVID-19 can lead to pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a condition causing irreversible lung damage. This review explores how respiratory viruses trigger mechanisms leading to chronic fibrotic lung disease in survivors.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonology
  • Virology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is lung scarring from infections, causing irreversible damage.
  • PF is increasingly observed post-viral infections, especially in severe cases like ARDS.
  • The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted chronic fibrotic changes in survivors of severe viral pneumonia.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review clinical evidence linking viral infections to pulmonary fibrosis.
  • To investigate the mechanisms driving fibrosis after viral infections (COVID-19, influenza, etc.).
  • To understand how acute viral injury progresses to chronic fibrotic lung disease.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of clinical studies and mechanistic research.
  • Analysis of pathways involving cellular injury and immune responses.
  • Examination of aberrant repair mechanisms post-viral infection.

Main Results:

  • Viral infections, including COVID-19 and influenza, are linked to pulmonary fibrosis onset.
  • Mechanisms involve cellular damage, immune system dysregulation, and abnormal tissue repair.
  • These pathways can convert acute viral lung injury into chronic fibrotic disease.

Conclusions:

  • Viral infections represent a significant risk factor for developing pulmonary fibrosis.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for managing post-viral lung disease.
  • Further research into therapeutic targets for preventing or treating viral-induced PF is warranted.
Keywords:
COVIDimmune-mesenchymal cross talkinterstitial lung diseasepost-viral immune dysregulationpulmonary fibrosis

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