Epithelial stem cells and niches in lung alveolar regeneration and diseases  

作　　者：Jilei Zhang Yuru Liu 

机构地区：[1]Department of Pharmacology and Regenerative Medicine,University of Illinois College of Medicine,Chicago,IL 60612,USA [2]University of Illinois Cancer Center,Chicago,IL 60612,USA

出　　处：《Chinese Medical Journal Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine》2024年第1期17-26,共10页呼吸与危重症医学（英文）

基　　金：supported by the National Institutes of Health grant HL 105947 and HL 155272 to Y.L.

摘　　要：Alveoli serve as the functional units of the lungs,responsible for the critical task of blood-gas exchange.Com-prising type I(AT1)and type II(AT2)cells,the alveolar epithelium is continuously subject to external aggressors like pathogens and airborne particles.As such,preserving lung function requires both the homeostatic renewal and reparative regeneration of this epithelial layer.Dysfunctions in these processes contribute to various lung diseases.Recent research has pinpointed specific cell subgroups that act as potential stem or progenitor cells for the alveolar epithelium during both homeostasis and regeneration.Additionally,endothelial cells,fibroblasts,and immune cells synergistically establish a nurturing microenvironment-or“niche”-that modulates these ep-ithelial stem cells.This review aims to consolidate the latest findings on the identities of these stem cells and the components of their niche,as well as the molecular mechanisms that govern them.Additionally,this article highlights diseases that arise due to perturbations in stem cell-niche interactions.We also discuss recent technical innovations that have catalyzed these discoveries.Specifically,this review underscores the heterogeneity,plastic-ity,and dynamic regulation of these stem cell-niche systems.It is our aspiration that a deeper understanding of the fundamental cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying alveolar homeostasis and regeneration will open avenues for identifying novel therapeutic targets for conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD),fibrosis,coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),and lung cancer.

关 键 词：ALVEOLI EPITHELIUM Type II cell(AT2) Stem cell NICHE 

分 类 号：R563[医药卫生—呼吸系统]