Type 2 alveolar cells are stem cells in adult lung.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
Gas exchange in the lung occurs within alveoli, air-filled sacs composed of type 2 and type 1 epithelial cells (AEC2s and AEC1s), capillaries, and various resident mesenchymal cells. Here, we use a combination of in vivo clonal lineage analysis, different injury/repair systems, and in vitro culture of purified cell populations to obtain new information about the contribution of AEC2s to alveolar maintenance and repair. Genetic lineage-tracing experiments showed that surfactant protein C-positive (SFTPC-positive) AEC2s self renew and differentiate over about a year, consistent with the population containing long-term alveolar stem cells. Moreover, if many AEC2s were specifically ablated, high-resolution imaging of intact lungs showed that individual survivors undergo rapid clonal expansion and daughter cell dispersal. Individual lineage-labeled AEC2s placed into 3D culture gave rise to self-renewing "alveolospheres," which contained both AEC2s and cells expressing multiple AEC1 markers, including HOPX, a new marker for AEC1s. Growth and differentiation of the alveolospheres occurred most readily when cocultured with primary PDGFRα⁺ lung stromal cells. This population included lipofibroblasts that normally reside close to AEC2s and may therefore contribute to a stem cell niche in the murine lung. Results suggest that a similar dynamic exists between AEC2s and mesenchymal cells in the human lung.
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Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Barkauskas, CE; Cronce, MJ; Rackley, CR; Bowie, EJ; Keene, DR; Stripp, BR; Randell, SH; Noble, PW; Hogan, BLM
Published Date
- July 2013
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 123 / 7
Start / End Page
- 3025 - 3036
PubMed ID
- 23921127
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC3696553
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 1558-8238
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1172/JCI68782
Language
- eng
Conference Location
- United States