Alveolar development and disease

摘要: Gas exchange after birth is entirely dependent on the remarkable architecture of alveolus, its formation and function being mediated by interactions numerous cell types whose precise positions activities are controlled a diversity signaling transcriptional networks. In later stages gestation, alveolar epithelial cells lining peripheral lung saccules produce increasing amounts surfactant lipids proteins that secreted into airspaces at birth. The lack maturation associated pulmonary in preterm infants causes respiratory distress syndrome, common cause morbidity mortality with premature At time birth, homeostasis begins to be established balanced processes involved production, storage, secretion, recycling, catabolism. Insights from physiology engineering made 20th century enabled survival newborn requiring mechanical ventilation for first time. Thereafter, advances biochemistry, biophysics, molecular biology led an understanding system possible exogenous replacement treatment infants. Identification proteins, cloning genes encoding them, elucidation their roles regulation synthesis, structure, have provided health disease. This Perspective seeks consider developmental aspects importance pathogenesis acute chronic diseases related homeostasis.