Study from Lukacs-Kornek lab reveals how obesity reprograms lung cells and weakens tissue resilience
The team of Professor Lukacs-Kornek in Cell Reports demonstrates that obesity reprograms the lung, driving fibroblastic stromal cells to accumulate lipids, adopt myofibroblast-like features, and exhibit increased contractility alongside a premature-aging phenotype. Using multi-omics and functional assays, the team defines an obesity-specific matrisome, indicating a damage-prone, prematurely aged milieu. These coordinated changes stiffen the lung and highlight fibroblasts as actionable targets to mitigate obesity-driven lung pathology.
Publication
Rottmann S, Li J, Zurkovic J, Bravo PS, Lindner AU, Qin J, Kallabis S, Mei Q, Liu X, Thiele C, Eckert C, Meissner F, Lukacs-Kornek V
Global matrisome changes in obese lung are linked to fibroblastic stroma and premature aging.
Cell Reports 2025; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2025.116285
