A subset of epithelial cells with CCSP promoter activity participates in alveolar development.

ABSTRACT: Alveolar formation is hallmarked by the transition of distal lung saccules into gas exchange units through the emergence of secondary crests and an exponential increase in surface area. Several cell types are involved in this complex process, including families of epithelial cells that differentiate into alveolar type I and II cells. Subsets of cells expressing Clara cell secretory protein (CCSP) have been identified in both lung and bone marrow compartments, and are described as a progenitor/stem cell pool involved in airway regeneration and alveolar homeostasis. Whether these cells also participate in alveolar formation during postnatal development remains unknown. Based on their regenerative capacity, we asked whether these cells participate in alveogenesis. We used a previously describ

SUBMITTER: Londhe VA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3135842 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature