The Florida Lung Doctors bring you cutting edge scientific news about the self-healing power of lung tissue. Researchers at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and A*STAR of Singapore have cloned three types of stem cells from the human airways.
One of these lung stem cells can actually transform into functioning air sac tissue. The scientists also proved that that these lung stem cells are triggered into fast action at the molecular level. Once stimulated, these cells grow and proliferate so vigorously that, the result is identified as “lung regeneration.”
The Florida Lung Doctors can imagine the excitement as the researchers cloned the stem cells from the lung airway in a Petri dish. Scientists
watched as the cells developed into unique structures that closely mimic the gene profile of alveoli. (These are the miniscule air sacks of the lungs. We can not breathe without them.)
Frank McKeon, professor of cell biology at Harvard Medical School stated, “These findings suggest new cell- and factor-based strategies for enhancing lung regeneration following acute damage from infection, and even in chronic conditions such as pulmonary fibrosis.”
Such probing studies are unlocking the secrets of lung regeneration, paving the way to controlling the way cells behave at the molecular level. The result could mean that these distal airway stem cells could restore lungs scarred by irreversible fibrosis.
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The American Heart Association uses Valentine’s Week to campaign against smoking. We highly endorse their crusade to “save a Sweet Heart.”
