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Review
. 2024 Mar 7:15:1362509.
doi: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1362509. eCollection 2024.

The role of inflammation in silicosis

Tong-Tong Liu  1 , Hai-Fei Sun  1 , Yan-Xing Han  1 , Yun Zhan  1 , Jian-Dong Jiang  1
Affiliations
Review

The role of inflammation in silicosis

Tong-Tong Liu et al. Front Pharmacol. .

Abstract

Silicosis is a chronic illness marked by diffuse fibrosis in lung tissue resulting from continuous exposure to SiO2-rich dust in the workplace. The onset and progression of silicosis is a complicated and poorly understood pathological process involving numerous cells and molecules. However, silicosis poses a severe threat to public health in developing countries, where it is the most prevalent occupational disease. There is convincing evidence supporting that innate and adaptive immune cells, as well as their cytokines, play a significant role in the development of silicosis. In this review, we describe the roles of immune cells and cytokines in silicosis, and summarize current knowledge on several important inflammatory signaling pathways associated with the disease, aiming to provide novel targets and strategies for the treatment of silicosis-related inflammation.

Keywords: cytokines; immune cells; inflammation; signal pathway; silicosis.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The mechanisms underlying the pathological effects of silica on alveolar macrophages (AMs).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
The innate and adaptive immune systems in silicosis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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