The endothelium, a cellular monolayer lining the blood vessel wall, plays a critical role in
maintaining multiorgan health and homeostasis. Endothelial functions in health include …

It is now established that airway smooth muscle (ASM) has roles in determining airway
structure and function, well beyond that as the major contractile element. Indeed, changes in …

Fibroblasts are widely distributed cells found in most tissues and upon tissue injury, they are
able to differentiate into myofibroblasts, which express abundant extracellular matrix (ECM) …

The pathogenesis of asthma includes a complex interplay among airway inflammation,
hyperresponsiveness, and remodeling. Current evidence suggests that airway structural …

Fibrosis is a pathological condition that is characterized by the replacement of dead or
damaged tissue with a nonfunctional, mechanically aberrant scar, and fibrotic pathologies …

The arachidonic acid cascade is arguably the most widely known biologic regulatory
pathway. Decades after the seminal discoveries involving its cyclooxygenase and …

Prior studies have reported the presence of lung fibrosis and enhanced airway
hyperresponsiveness (AHR) in mice with high-fat-diet (HFD)-induced obesity. This study …

Although soluble factors, such as transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), induce
mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation towards the smooth muscle cell (SMC) lineage …

Background Icariin (ICA) is the major active ingredient extracted from Chinese herbal
medicine Epimedium, which has the effects of improving cardiovascular function, inducing …

The fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) is a potent mitogenic factor belonging to the FGF
family. It plays a role in airway remodeling associated with chronic inflammatory airway …