Acute lung injury (ALI) is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome in the lungs, with a high incidence and fatality rate of 30 - 40%. Despite the abundance of research on the pathogenesis of lung injury and the great progress that has been achieved, the various number of cells, cytokines and inflammatory response pathways involved in the pathogenesis of ALI and their complex relationships - which together constitute the cell network and inflammatory factor network of ALI inflammatory response - demand more attention. This study reviews the formation of this network in the pathogenesis of ALI.