Acute lung injury (ALI) is a life-threatening inflammatory lung disease, most commonly caused by pneumonia and sepsis. An unresolved cytokine storm caused by bacterial infection leads to detrimental effects such as neutrophil influx, capillary leakage, and edema. Despite extensive research, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood and mortality rate of ALI remains unacceptably high (30–40%).

The lung epithelium and endothelium act as a protective barrier against invading microbes present in air or circulation. Understanding the regulation of barrier integrity and lung epithelial and endothelial immune responses is important for developing new therapeutic strategies for treating ALI.

We invite authors to contribute original research articles as well as review articles that will provide a deeper understanding of the role of lung epithelial and endothelial cells in the pathogenesis of ALI.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Recent discoveries regarding regulation of lung epithelial and endothelial barrier integrity
• Cell death in lung epithelial and endothelial cells
• Regulation of cytokine release in ALI
• Receptor signaling in lung epithelial and endothelial cells
• Lung epithelial and endothelial cell proliferation and migration
• Genetic and epigenetic studies in ALI
• Systemic disease-induced ALI
• Stem cells in lung repair and remodeling