Pseudomonas AeruginosaInduced Cell Death in Acute Lung Injury and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Pseudomonas aeruginosais an important opportunistic pathogen responsible for the cause of acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome.P. aeruginosaisthe leading species isolated from patients with nosocomial infection and is detected in almost all the patients with long term ventilation in critical care units.P. aeruginosainfection is also the leading cause of deleterious chronic lung infections in patients suffering from cystic fibrosis as well as the major reason for morbidity in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.P. aeruginosainfections are linked to diseases with high mortality rates and are challenging for treatment, for which no effective remedies have been developed. Massive lung epithelial cell death is a hallmark of severe acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome caused byP. aeruginosainfection. Lung epithelial cell death poses serious challenges to air barrier and structural integrity that may lead to edema, cytokine secretion, inflammatory infiltration, and hypoxia. Here we review different types of cell death caused byP. aeruginosaserving as a starting point for the diseases it is responsible for causing. We also review the different mechanisms of cell death and potential therapeutics in countering the serious challenges presented by this deadly bacterium.