During the 2025 International Cough Conference in Guangzhou, China, I had the privilege of joining a special interview session with three leading figures in our field: Professor Nanshan Zhong, Professor Kian Fan Chung, and Professor Kefang Lai. Our conversation centered on the progress of chronic cough research and the strategic direction of the Journal of Thoracic Disease (JTD) Cough Section (https://amepc.wistia.com/medias/q3zn8qnyqt).
The landscape of our field is shifting. As highlighted by Prof. Zhong, robust national research programs, particularly in China, have led to measurable global impacts. This is evident in the 2024 Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) guideline update regarding cough variant asthma, which was supported by data from Prof. Lai’s group.
The JTD Cough Section, established in 2016 under the leadership of my predecessor, Prof. Peter Dicpinigaitis, was a pioneering initiative (1). It has since evolved into a bridge connecting Eastern and Western researchers (2,3). With over 80 publications to date, the section has seen robust citation metrics, particularly for guidelines and reviews (https://jtd.amegroups.org/post/view/classic-papers; https://jtd.amegroups.org/post/view/cough-related-series), reflecting the urgent clinical need in this area.
Our discussion highlighted a consensus: chronic cough is evolving from a mere symptom to a distinct disease entity, often conceptualized as “Cough Hypersensitivity Syndrome” (4,5). Prof. Chung emphasized that we must move beyond a “one-size-fits-all” approach (6). The future lies in unraveling the heterogeneity of cough through genetics and identifying specific phenotypes and endotypes.
Beyond publication, JTD aims to drive systemic improvements, such as advocating for an independent code for chronic cough in the International Classification of Diseases (4,5,7) and supporting the development of “cough” sub-specialty to standardize patient care (8).
Our goal is to maintain JTD as an open, rapid, and innovative platform. We will leverage digital networks to ensure that findings from China and across the globe reach the international community without delay. As Prof. Zhong remarked, JTD should serve not merely as a witness to history, but as a catalyst for future developments. We invite you to contribute to this mission.
Woo-Jung Song
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Acknowledgments
We thank Prof. Kefang Lai and his team for supporting the interview arrangements, including providing the venue.
Ethical Statement: The author is accountable for all aspects of the work in ensuring that questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work are appropriately investigated and resolved.
Footnotes
Provenance and Peer Review: This article was commissioned by the editorial office, Journal of Thoracic Disease, for the series “Cough Section”. The article did not undergo external peer review.
Funding: None.
Conflicts of Interest: The author has completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form (available at https://jtd.amegroups.com/article/view/10.21037/jtd-2025-1-2684/coif). The series “Cough Section” was commissioned by the editorial office without any funding or sponsorship. W.J.S. served as the unpaid Section Director of the series. W.J.S. reports grants from Daewoong Pharmaceutical. He has received consulting fees from GSK and Reckitt Benckiser. He also reports payment or honoraria for lectures and presentations from Thermo Fisher/Immunotek, Celltrion, AstraZeneca, GSK, and Organon. He serves as the Chief Editor for ERJ Open Research. The author has no other conflicts of interest to declare.
References
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