American journal of respiratory and critical care medicine
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Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. · Dec 2014
Hypoxia-induced Deoxycytidine Kinase Contributes to Epithelial Proliferation in Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a deadly lung disease with few therapeutic options. Apoptosis of alveolar epithelial cells, followed by abnormal tissue repair characterized by hyperplastic epithelial cell formation, is a pathogenic process that contributes to the progression of pulmonary fibrosis. However, the signaling pathways responsible for increased proliferation of epithelial cells remain poorly understood. ⋯ Our findings suggest that the induction of DCK after hypoxia plays a role in the progression of pulmonary fibrosis by contributing to alveolar epithelial cell proliferation.