Regulation of lung inflammation and repair by proteolysis
Symposium Chairs: M. Kolb (Hamilton, Canada), S. Uhlig (Aachen, Germany)
Aims: This symposium aims to highlight state-of-the-art advances in our understanding of the critical roles of proteases and their inhibitors in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic lung injury. Studies of cellular mechanisms of the lung have traditionally focussed on the induction and secretion of mediator molecules. The importance of fine tuning these mediator molecules by metalloproteases has only been recognised recently. The symposium will contrast the role of proteases in both inflammation and repair in different experimental models for acute lung inflammation, asthma and fibrosis. The session would provide invaluable insights into the molecular mechanisms of how proteases regulate the critical steps of lung inflammation, and discuss the proteases as novel therapeutic targets.