Effects and mechanism of dehydroepiandrosterone on epithelial–mesenchymal transition in bronchial epithelial cells

Background: Chronic persistent asthma is characterized by airway remodeling, in which epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) may play a significant role. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), a steroid hormone and testosterone analog, is considered as an important immunomodulating hormone. However, its role in EMT remains unclear. We sought to investigate whether transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) stimulates human bronchial epithelial cells...