International Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Bridging Bench and Bedside in COPD: Mechanisms, Biomarkers and Clinical Translation

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a heterogeneous and progressive respiratory condition characterized by persistent airflow limitation, chronic inflammation, airway remodeling and, in many patients, emphysematous destruction of the lung parenchyma. Although tobacco smoke remains the principal risk factor, exposure to air pollution, occupational agents and early-life insults also contribute to disease onset and progression. Over the past decade, research has revealed that COPD encompasses multiple endotypes and clinical phenotypes, shaped by innate and adaptive immune dysregulation, oxidative stress, cellular senescence, epithelial dysfunction, impaired tissue repair and altered lung microbiome. At the same time, advances in clinical trials, imaging and patient stratification have refined the way the disease is diagnosed and managed. Moreover, in the last years both clinical trials and traslational research studies have tried to shed light on the complex interplay between COPD and its comorbidities, particularly cardiovascular diseases. This Collection aims to gather contributions that illustrate the current state of COPD research across the whole translational continuum.

COPD is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, imposing a substantial burden on patients, healthcare systems and society. Despite this, therapeutic options remain largely symptomatic, and disease-modifying treatments are still lacking. A major obstacle is the gap between experimental findings and clinical application: mechanisms identified in cellular and preclinical models are not always validated in patient cohorts, while clinical observations are rarely explored in depth at the molecular level. Closing this gap is essential to identify reliable biomarkers, define treatable traits, predict exacerbations and disease trajectories, and develop targeted, personalized therapies. By bringing together clinicians and basic scientists, this Collection seeks to foster a dialogue that can accelerate the translation of mechanistic knowledge into improved patient care and to highlight where clinical needs should guide laboratory research.

The Collection welcomes submissions covering both clinical and in vitro research in COPD, in line with the journal’s focus on the pathophysiological processes underlying the disease and on the management of patients. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: cellular and molecular mechanisms of inflammation, remodeling and repair; epithelial and immune cell function in advanced in vitro models such as air–liquid interface cultures, organoids and precision-cut lung slices; extracellular vesicles and other mediators of intercellular communication; biomarkers and omics approaches; phenotyping and endotyping; exacerbations and comorbidities; pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions, including pulmonary rehabilitation; and real-world evidence. Preferred article types include Original Research, in the form of full papers or concise rapid reports, covering clinical studies as well as basic science studies that shed light on disease pathogenesis or on the mode of action of treatments, together with Reviews, Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses, and Expert Opinion or Commentary articles.

Keywords

1. COPD
2. Translational research
3. Biomarkers
4. In vitro models
5. Clinical phenotypes

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is 30^st September 2027.

Please contact Zhiyuan Zhang at zhiyuan.zhang@taylorandfrancis.com with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

Please be sure to select the appropriate Article Collection from the drop-down menu in the submission system. Failure to select the appropriate Article Collection or Section name can result in delays.

Guest Advisors

Dr. Tommaso Neri is a Technologist at the Department of Biology of the University of Pisa, Italy. He holds a PhD in Cardiovascular and Respiratory Pathophysiology and a specialization in Clinical Biochemistry, and has spent his career at the University of Pisa. His research focuses on chronic respiratory diseases, in particular chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), where he has investigated the role of extracellular vesicles as mediators of intercellular communication and as potential biomarkers, using both clinical samples such as bronchoalveolar lavage and plasma and in vitro models of bronchial epithelial cells. He has authored publications on extracellular vesicles in COPD and in thromboinflammation.

Dr. Dario Nieri is a specialist in Respiratory Diseases, and works at the Pulmonology Unit at Pisa University Hospital (Pisa, Italy). He achieved a PhD in Clinical Physiopathology at University of Pisa, with a research project focused on the possible role of extracellular vesicles as mediators of thromboinflammation in COPD exacerbations. His research has a prevalent translational approach, investigating mechanisms underlying COPD as a systemic disease, with a special focus on the relationship between COPD and cardiovascular diseases.