Reprogramming Fibrosis: How Protein PTMs Reshape the IPF Proteome

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a fatal and progressive lung disorder. Its pathological process involves persistent epithelial damage, ongoing inflammation, and dysregulated tissue repair. Currently, there are no effective treatment methods to improve patient survival. However, post-translational modifications (PTMs) have gradually garnered widespread attention. They are the processes by which various chemical groups are added to or removed from proteins' amino acid side chains or the N- or C-terminal ends of the polypeptide chain following synthesis. Additionally, they can regulate the energy supply of cells, regulate the cell cycle, and affect important signaling pathways such as TGF-β. This review systematically summarizes different categories of PTMs, organizes the PTMs involved in various injury stages of IPF, outlines the roles of different cells throughout the process, and analyzes future clinical diagnosis and treatment strategies as well as intervention targets for IPF, providing guiding significance for the systematic intervention of IPF in the future.