title: Plasticity in the lung: making and breaking cell identity.
abstract: In contrast to a prior emphasis on the finality of cell fate decisions in developmental systems, cellular plasticity is now emerging as a general theme in the biology of multiple adult organ systems. In the lung, lineage tracing has been used to identify distinct epithelial stem and progenitor cell populations. These cells, together with their differentiated progeny, maintain a stable identity during steady state conditions, but can display remarkable lineage plasticity following injury. This Review summarizes our current understanding of the different cell lineages of the adult mammalian lung and their responses to injury. In the lung, which is constantly exposed to infection and aerosolized toxins, epithelial plasticity might be more of a rule than an exception, and it is likely that different injuries elicit different facultative responses.
authors.affiliation: Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.|Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.|Departments of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Purushothama Rao
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4837-0337
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Tata
authors.affiliation: Center for Regenerative Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, 185 Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA jrajagopal@mgh.harvard.edu.|Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.|Departments of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.|Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, Boston, MA 02114, USA.|Division of Otology and Laryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
authors.forename: Jayaraj
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3190-8647
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rajagopal
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System; D008168:Lung / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D012038:Regeneration / Q000502:physiology*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Cellular heterogeneity; Cellular plasticity; Lineage tracing; Lung injury repair; Lung regeneration; Lung stem cells