Effect of Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway on the embryonic lung development and lung diseases

Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) signaling pathway not only plays key roles in embryonic development,but also functions in postnatal development and maintenance of tissue/organ integrity and function.In recent years,it has been found that the SHH signaling pathway was abnormally activated in some lung diseases,which suggested that the SHH signaling pathway may play a part in the development of some lung diseases.This article reviewed the potential role of SHH signaling pathway on the embryonic lung development and lung diseases. Key words: Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway; Embryoniclung development; Lung disease