LOX/LOXL in pulmonary fibrosis: potential therapeutic targets.

Lysyl oxidase (LOX) and lysyl oxidase like proteins (LOXL), a family of extracellular matrix (ECM) crosslinking enzymes that have been recognized as playing an important role in fibrogenesis for more than 40 years, are logical targets for antifibrotic treatments. Pulmonary fibrosis, especially idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), is a progressive and lethal disease characterized by excessive deposition of ECM in the lung parenchyma. In this review, we discuss the current clinical approaches for IPF and review members of LOX family-LOX, LOXL1, LOXL2, LOXL3 and LOXL4-in IPF patients and in animal models of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis. Although these findings are controversial and require further validation, LOX/LOXL1/LOXL2 as potential therapeutic targets for IPF deserve continued attention. So far to our knowledge, LOXL3 or LOXL4 has not clearly shown specific therapeutic potential.