The Potential of Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products (RAGE) as a Therapeutic Target for Lung Associated Diseases.

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) is a multi-ligand pattern recognition receptor that is highly expressed in lung epithelial cells. It helps alveolar epithelial cells to maintain their morphology and specific architecture. However, in various pathophysiological conditions, pulmonary tissues express supraphysiological level of RAGE and its ligands including advanced glycation end products, high mobility group box 1 proteins and S100 proteins. These ligands on interaction with RAGE stimulate various downstream signaling pathways that generate inflammation and oxidative stress leading to asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancers, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, acute lung injury, pneumonia, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, cystic fibrosis and sepsis. Thus, pharmacological agents that can either suppress the production of RAGE or block its biological activity would offer promising therapeutic value against pathogenesis of the aforementioned lung associated diseases. This review presents a comprehensive overview of the recent progress made in defining the functions of RAGE in pulmonary diseases.