2015/02/19 by Pieter S. Hiemstra, Paul B. McCray, Robert Bals · 1 citation
Health Professions · Medicine · #Airway #Asthma and respiratory diseases #Biology #Cell biology #Cystic fibrosis #Epithelium #Fibrosis #Function (biology) #Immune system #Immunology #Inflammation #Innate immune system #Lung #Medicine #Neonatal Respiratory Health Research #Pathogenesis #Pathology #Pediatric health and respiratory diseases #Respiratory epithelium
paper · pdf · doi:10.1183/09031936.00141514
openalex publication_date 2015/02/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
The airway epithelium is now considered to be central to the orchestration of pulmonary inflammatory and immune responses, and is also key to tissue remodelling. It acts as the first barrier in the defence against a wide range of inhaled challenges, and is critically involved in the regulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses to these challenges. Recent progress in our understanding of the developmental regulation of this tissue, the differentiation pathways, recognition of pathogens and antimicrobial responses is now exploited to help understand how epithelial cell function and dysfunction contributes to the pathogenesis of a variety of inflammatory lung diseases. Herein, advances in our knowledge of the biology of airway epithelium, as well as its role and (dys)function in asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary fibrosis and cystic fibrosis will be discussed.