Dear Colleagues,

Lung transplantation offers a lifesaving option for patients with end-stage lung disease. Although there have been significant improvements in survival since lung transplantation became a clinically viable treatment, survival after lung transplantation continues to lag behind other solid organ transplants. Rejection and infection are the leading causes of death after transplantation. Initially, innate immune responses immediately following reperfusion of the transplanted lung play a critical role in the development of primary lung dysfunction. Also, lung allografts are in direct communication with the external environment, thus being constantly exposed to air pollutants and pathogens. The continuous contact with these agents among other conditions leads to constant immune stimulation that could lead to chronic allograft dysfunction. Monocytes, neutrophils, dendritic cells, macrophages, and T and B cells have clear roles in different steps of the immune response following lung transplantation.

This Special Issue is focused on the different immunological responses that occurs after lung transplantation: primary graft dysfunction, hyperacute rejection, acute cellular rejection, and chronic allograft dysfunction among others. Despite the body of work published on the subject, the precise mechanisms regulating in allograft dysfunction and rejection remain unclear. Moreover, more research involving pharmacological interventions is paramount. This Special Issue aims to consolidate current knowledge on the immune response following lung transplant, highlighting molecular mechanisms through original research and review articles.

Emilia Lecuona
Guest Editor