Advances of activating transcription factor family in inflammatory lung diseases and pulmonary fibrosis

The activating transcription factor (ATF) family, a key branch of the basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors, is widely involved in various biological processes including cellular stress responses, inflammation, apoptosis, and metabolism. In the pathogenesis and progression of pulmonary fibrosis and inflammatory lung diseases, such as acute lung injury/acute respiratory distress syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, ATF family members regulate critical mechanisms including cellular stress, inflammatory responses, and ferroptosis, thereby influencing immune responses and tissue remodeling. They exhibit bidirectional regulatory roles with both pathological promotion and protective effects. This review summarizes the expression changes, biological functions, and potential molecular mechanisms of ATF family members in inflammatory lung diseases and pulmonary fibrosis, aiming to offer novel research perspectives for developing mechanism-based targeted therapies for pulmonary diseases.