Aging and interstitial lung diseases: unraveling an old forgotten player in the pathogenesis of lung fibrosis

Abstract

Aging is a natural process characterized by a progressive functional impairment and reduced capacity to respond adaptively to environmental stimuli. Aging is associated with increased susceptibility to a variety of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer, and neurological diseases. Lung pathologies are not the exception, and the prevalence of several interstitial lung diseases (ILDs), primarily idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, has been found to increase considerably with age. Although our understanding of the biology of aging has advanced remarkably in the last 2 decades, the molecular mechanisms linking aging to ILD remain unclear. Immunosenescence, oxidative stress, abnormal shortening of telomeres, apoptosis, and epigenetic changes affecting gene expression have been proposed to contribute to the aging process, and aging-associated diseases. Here, we review the emerging concepts highlighting the putative aging-associated abnormalities involved in some human ILDs.