Snell James N, Westall Glen P, Snell Gregory I
a Lung Transplant Service , Alfred Hospital and Monash University , Melbourne , Australia.
b St Vincent's Hospital Clinical School , University of Melbourne , Fitzroy , Australia.
Expert Rev Respir Med. 2015;9(6):697-701. doi: 10.1586/17476348.2015.1098537. Epub 2015 Oct 14.
Activin A, a member of the transforming growth factor β super-family, is a key regulator of multiple biological pathways including the physiological processes of organ development and homeostasis; as well as the pathological processes of inflammation, remodelling and fibrosis. Dysregulation of activin A and its naturally occurring antagonist follistatin, contribute to the development of disease in multiple organ systems. In this review, we summarize the regulation of activin A, its dysregulated expression in a number of respiratory diseases and postulate its potential role in contributing to allograft dysfunction following lung transplantation.
