Cellular mechanisms and therapeutic targets in fibroblast-mediated lung immune disorders

Lung immune diseases have become a major global public health burden, with incidence increasing over the past two decades, especially in industrialized countries and rapidly growing urban areas. Conditions such as asthma, acute lung injury (ALI), acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and bronchiectasis impose heavy economic and healthcare costs due to their chronic and recurrent nature. Differences between developed and developing countries reflect varying environmental exposures and lifestyle changes linked to industrialization. Patients often require long-term treatment, including medication and desensitization therapy, leading to significant social and medical challenges.Recent studies show that fibroblasts play far more active roles in lung immunity than previously understood. Instead of serving solely as structural cells, they act as key coordinators of immune regulation and tissue inflammation. For example, different fibroblast subtypes can trigger necroptosis, manage immune cell recruitment through cytokine signaling, and influence epithelial barrier integrity via TNF superfamily pathways and transcriptional regulators such as NF-κB. Mechanisms like FKBP5-mediated fibroblast necroptosis, NF-κB-dependent neutrophil infiltration, and TNF superfamily signaling drive inflammatory process that connect asthma-related airway inflammation with ARDS. Despite these advances, key questions remain about how fibroblast–immune cell communication and fibroblast plasticity can be targeted to improve lung repair and control inflammation.This Research Topic aims to deepen understanding of fibroblast-driven mechanisms in acute and chronic lung immune diseases by integrating basic, translational, and clinical research. The goal is to link mechanistic discoveries with therapeutic progress, highlighting cell death, inflammatory signaling, and fibroblast plasticity as potential treatment targets. By encouraging collaboration among immunologists, molecular biologists, and clinicians, this Research Topic seeks to uncover new ways to monitor, modulate, and treat inflammation in lung disease.We welcome submissions that explore, but are not limited to, the following themes:- Fibroblast cell death and inflammatory microenvironment remodeling- TNF superfamily signaling in airway and alveolar remodeling- Fibroblast subtypes and heterogeneity in immune regulation and tissue repair- Interactions between fibroblast signaling pathways and immune cell function- Translational and clinical perspectives on fibroblast-targeted therapiesAll article types are welcome, including original research, systematic reviews, mini-reviews, letters, perspectives, clinical case studies, and FAIR² Data Articles. Topic editors: Dong Zhang, Qian Qi Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80574/cellular-mechanisms-and-therapeutic-targets-in-fibroblast-mediated-lung-immune-disorders