Call for papers - Aging and lung disease

Guest Editors

Tamara Cruz Santa Cruz, PhD, Clinical Foundation for Biomedical Research – IDIBAPS, Spain
Sadiya Shaikh, PhD, University of Rochester Medical Center, USA

Submission Status: Open | Submission Deadline: 8 July 2025

BMC Pulmonary Medicine calls for submissions to our Collection on Aging and lung disease. As we age, the respiratory system undergoes various physiological changes that heighten the risk of lung diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease, and lung cancer. Moreover, age-related shifts in the immune system, such as chronic inflammation and cellular aging, play a significant role in the development of these conditions. Recognizing the intricate relationship between aging and lung disease is essential for creating effective prevention, diagnosis, and treatment strategies.

New Content Item This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities.

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Meet the Guest Editors

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Tamara Cruz Santa Cruz, PhD, Clinical Foundation for Biomedical Research – IDIBAPS, Spain

Dr Tamara Cruz is a Junior Researcher at Fundacio Clinic per la Recerca Biomedica – IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain. She obtained her PhD in Biomedicine, specializing in the line of Immunology from the University of Barcelona. Her research focus is on the implications of the immune response in age-related chronic respiratory diseases. Her early research was focused on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and on her postdoctoral stage she extended her research into fibrotic lung diseases at the University of Pittsburgh. Tamara’s actual line of research is centered on the interactions between the immune system and the fibrosis progression.

Sadiya Shaikh, PhD, University of Rochester Medical Center, USA

Dr Sadiya Shaikh is a Postdoctoral Associate in the Department of Environmental Medicine at the University of Rochester, where she conducts multidisciplinary basic and translational research to elucidate the mechanisms of cellular senescence induced by radiation and other stressors. Dr Shaikh’s work focuses on innovative in vitro and in vivo models of chronic inflammatory respiratory diseases, particularly lung fibrosis. She investigates the role of Interleukin 17A (IL-17A) in regulating the lung fibrinolytic system and explores the processes of aging and cellular senescence in both pediatric and adult subjects using multi-omics approaches. She is an active member of the American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society, and has authored or co-authored 28 publications, including peer-reviewed articles and two provisional patents. Additionally, Dr Shaikh serves as a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals.

About the Collection

BMC Pulmonary Medicine calls for submissions to our Collection on Aging and lung disease. The aging process is associated with physiological changes in the respiratory system, leading to an increased susceptibility to lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease, and lung cancer. Additionally, age-related alterations in the immune system, including inflammaging and cellular senescence, contribute to the pathogenesis of lung diseases. Understanding the complex interplay between aging and lung disease is crucial for developing effective strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and management.

Continued advancement of our collective understanding in this area is essential for addressing the growing burden of lung diseases in aging populations. Recent advances have elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying inflammaging and senescence in the context of lung disease, paving the way for the development of novel therapeutic approaches targeting these processes. Furthermore, research has highlighted the impact of aging on the susceptibility to respiratory infections and the development of lung cancer, emphasizing the need for tailored interventions for older adults.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities. Topics might include but are not limited to:

• Inflammaging and its impact on lung health
• Senolytics and their potential in treating age-related lung diseases
• Age-related changes in the lung microenvironment
• Respiratory infections in aging populations
• Lung cancer in the context of aging

There are currently no articles in this collection.

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Aging and lung disease" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.