Silica-induced telomere dysfunction promotes pulmonary fibrosis through the activation of the cGAS-STING pathway - PubMed
6 hours ago
- #telomere dysfunction
- #pulmonary fibrosis
- #cellular senescence
- Silica (SiO₂) induces alveolar epithelial cell senescence via telomere shortening.
- TERF1 deficiency exacerbates telomere damage and increases cellular senescence.
- Overexpression of TERF1 maintains telomeric homeostasis and reduces senescence.
- Silica activates the cGAS-STING pathway, contributing to fibrotic signaling.
- The study suggests TERF1 as a potential therapeutic target for pulmonary fibrosis.