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Sleuths follow lung stem cells for generations to shed light on healing 

than one kind of stem cell is required to support the upkeep and repair of the lungs, according to a new study published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Scientists at Duke University Medical Center painstakingly followed and counted genetically labeled cells in the mouse lung for over a year, under differing conditions, to learn more about natural renewal and healing processes. This information may shed light on what goes wrong in conditions like lung cancer, chronic bronchitis and asthma.

"We are learning the exact processes that maintain the various regions of the lung in tip-top condition and what happens when things go wrong," said Brigid Hogan, Ph.D., chair of the Duke Department of Cell Biology and senior author of the study. "Normally, the lung is beautifully organized, with the exact proportion of secretory and ciliated cells lined up next to each other to get their jobs done." The secretory cells lubricate and protect, while the hair-like projections of the ciliated cells waft the secretions up and out of the lungs.

In humans, under conditions of heavy smoking, or infection or inflammation due to asthma or cystic fibrosis, repeated cycles of damage and repair lead to a messy arrangement, she said. "You can get patches of cells building up in a stacked, flattened formation like skin cells. Some cells multiply too fast; others may make too much mucus."

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