Abstract
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory disease that involves major remodelling of cells and tissue in the lung. There has been much focus on the inflammatory response, while less attention has been paid to structural changes and alterations of the extracellular matrix (ECM). In this review we revisit some of the latest findings on what is currently known about ECM alterations in COPD. We also discuss mechanisms involved in tissue repair and pay extra attention to the potential role of glycosaminoglycans in the disease.
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