The study found that immune cells play a central role in lung development even before birth. The results were published in the journal Science ImmunologyIt will help find a cure for respiratory diseases, which are the cause of almost 20% of deaths in children under five.
The airways of mature lungs contain immune cells that protect against infection. However, the role of immunity in the developing organ is still unknown. Recent discoveries confirm the presence of immune cells in human lungs as early as the fifth week of development.
To learn whether the immune system affects fetal lung development, the authors of the new study examined immune cells in human lungs between weeks 5 and 22 of development. They found that signaling molecules sent by immune cells play a key role in the coordination of lung stem cells.
The findings suggest that immune cell dysfunction may be a cause of lung disease in children.
The study created a first-of-its-kind atlas of immune cells in the developing lung. This is part of the international Human Cell Atlas3 initiative, which aims to map all cell types in the human body.
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Source: Gazeta
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