American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
-
Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Feb 2013
Epithelial Pten controls acute lung injury and fibrosis by regulating alveolar epithelial cell integrity.
Injury to alveolar epithelial cells (AECs) and to their repair process is integral to the pathogenesis of acute lung injury (ALI) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The mechanisms regulating the integrity of AECs and their intrinsic regulators remain unclear. Pten is a tumor suppressor, and its function in epithelial cells during organ fibrosis is unknown. ⋯ Our results highlight epithelial Pten as a crucial gatekeeper controlling ALI and lung fibrosis by modulating AEC integrity, and the Pten/PI3K/Akt pathway as a potential therapeutic target in these intractable diseases.