Chest
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The field of lung transplant has made significant advances over the last several decades. Despite these advances, morbidity and mortality remain high when compared with other solid organ transplants. ⋯ The advances and developments surrounding these factors will have a significant impact on shaping the field within the coming years. In this review, we look at the current climate (ripe for expanding the donor pool), new technology (ex vivo lung perfusion and bioengineered lungs), cutting-edge innovation (novel biomarkers and new ways to treat infected donors), and evidence-based medicine to discuss current trends and predict future developments for what we hope is a bright future for the field of lung transplantation.
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Tissue factor (TF) canonically functions as the initiator of the coagulation cascade. TF levels are increased in inflamed airways and seem to be important for tumor growth and metastasis. We hypothesized that airway epithelia release TF as part of a wound repair program. ⋯ Growing airway epithelia release TF when exposed to lipopolysaccharide or TGF-β. TF reduces wound-healing time in airway epithelia and therefore may be important to airway recovery after injury.