Inhalation of silica particles is an environmental and occupational cause of silicosis, a type of pneumoconiosis. Development of the lung silicosis is a unique process in which the vicious cycle of ingestion of inhaled silica particles by alveolar macrophages and their release triggers inflammation, generation of nodular lesions, and irreversible fibrosis. The pathophysiology of silicosis is complex, and interactions between the pathomechanisms have not been completely understood. However, elucidation of silica-induced inflammation cascades and inflammation-fibrosis relations has uncovered several novel possibilities of therapeutic targeting. This article reviews new information on the pathophysiology of silicosis and points out several promising treatment approaches targeting silicosis-related pathways.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a major polyphenol of green tea that possesses a wide variety of actions. EGCG acts as a strong antioxidant which effectively scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibits pro-oxidant enzymes including NADPH oxidase, activates antioxidant systems including superoxide dismutase, catalase, or glutathione, and reduces abundant production of nitric oxide metabolites by inducible nitric oxide synthase. ECGC also exerts potent anti-inflammatory, anti-fibrotic, pro-apoptotic, anti-tumorous, and metabolic effects via modulation of a variety of intracellular signaling cascades. Based on this knowledge, the use of EGCG could be of benefit in respiratory diseases with acute or chronic inflammatory, oxidative, and fibrotizing processes in their pathogenesis. This article reviews current information on the biological effects of EGCG in those respiratory diseases or animal models in which EGCG has been administered, i.e., acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiratory infections, COVID-19, bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung fibrosis, silicosis, lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, and lung embolism, and critically discusses effectiveness of EGCG administration in these respiratory disorders. For this review, articles in English language from the PubMed database were used.

Introduction. Exophiala dermatitidisis a relatively common environmental black yeast with worldwide distribution and is a rare cause of fungal infection, mostly in patients with certain predisposing factors. Due to the rarity of the infection, little is known about the specific predisposing factors, way of infection or treatment. Case presentation. Here, we report what is to our knowledge the first case of E. dermatitidis infection in a child after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. We also review all paediatric cases reported in the literature since 1993. Conclusion. This is, to our knowledge, the first reported case of E. dermatitidis infection in a child after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. This report should increase the awareness of E. dermatitidis in immunocompromised paediatric patients, particularly after stem cell transplantation.

Herbal compounds including those already well-established in traditional Chinese medicine have been increasingly tested in the treatment of various diseases. Recent studies have shown that herbal compounds can be of benefit also for pulmonary silicosis as they can diminish changes associated with silica-induced inflammation, fibrosis, and oxidative stress. Due to a lack of effective therapeutic strategies, development of novel approaches which may be introduced particularly in the early stage of the disease, is urgently needed. This review summarizes positive effects of several alternative plant-based drugs in the models of experimental silicosis with a potential for subsequent clinical investigation and use in future.

Pulmonary fibrosis, represented mainly by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, develops chronic and progressive changes in lung parenchyma with high mortality and limited therapeutic options. The aim of this review was to summarize the most common experimental models used in the research of pulmonary fibrosis. Lung damage associated with development of pulmonary fibrosis can be caused by irradiation or by instillation of bleomycin, fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC), silicon dioxide (silica), asbestos, etc. This article reviews the characteristics of the most frequently used animal models of fibrosis, including the limitations of their use. Although none of the used animal models resembles completely the changes in human pulmonary fibrosis, similarities between them allow preclinical testing of novel treatment approaches or their combinations in the laboratory conditions before their use in the clinical practice.