New part of the body found hiding in the lungs

[mercuryblues]

Scientists have discovered a brand-new type of cell hiding inside the delicate, branching passageways of human lungs. The newfound cells play a vital role in keeping the respiratory system functioning properly and could even inspire new treatments to reverse the effects of certain smoking-related diseases, according to a new study.

The cells, known as respiratory airway secretory (RAS) cells, are found in tiny, branching passages known as bronchioles, which are tipped with alveoli, the teensy air sacs that exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide with the bloodstream. The new RAS cells are similar to stem cells — "blank canvas" cells that can differentiate into any other type of cell in the body — and are capable of repairing damaged alveoli cells and transforming into new ones.

Researchers discovered the RAS cells after becoming increasingly frustrated by the limitations of relying on the lungs of mice as models for the human respiratory system. However, because of certain differences between the two, scientists have struggled to fill some knowledge gaps about human lungs. To get a better understanding of these differences on a cellular level, the team took lung tissue samples from healthy human donors and analyzed the genes within individual cells, which revealed the previously unknown RAS cells.

More at:

https://www.livescience.com/new-body-cell-discovered-in-lungs

[niyad]

1. Fascinating. Thank you so much for sharing.

[xocetaceans]

2. Here's a link to the paper upon which the news story is based and the paper's abstract.

Article | Published: 30 March 2022

Human distal airways contain a multipotent secretory cell that can regenerate alveoli

Maria C. Basil, Fabian L. Cardenas-Diaz, …Edward E. Morrisey

Nature volume 604, pages 120–126 (2022)




Abstract

The human lung differs substantially from its mouse counterpart, resulting in a distinct distal airway architecture affected by disease pathology in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In humans, the distal branches of the airway interweave with the alveolar gas-exchange niche, forming an anatomical structure known as the respiratory bronchioles. Owing to the lack of a counterpart in mouse, the cellular and molecular mechanisms that govern respiratory bronchioles in the human lung remain uncharacterized. Here we show that human respiratory bronchioles contain a unique secretory cell population that is distinct from cells in larger proximal airways. Organoid modelling reveals that these respiratory airway secretory (RAS) cells act as unidirectional progenitors for alveolar type 2 cells, which are essential for maintaining and regenerating the alveolar niche. RAS cell lineage differentiation into alveolar type 2 cells is regulated by Notch and Wnt signalling. In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, RAS cells are altered transcriptionally, corresponding to abnormal alveolar type 2 cell states, which are associated with smoking exposure in both humans and ferrets. These data identify a distinct progenitor in a region of the human lung that is not found in mouse that has a critical role in maintaining the gas-exchange compartment and is altered in chronic lung disease.

...

(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-04552-0?CJEVENT=86e6d41ab6ee11ec812843a50a1c0e10)

[mercuryblues]

16. +1

[BootinUp]

3. Surprised it took the boffins this long

to find it! Fascinating stuff.

[calimary]

4. Most intriguing!

[Backseat Driver]

5. Wow - I'll run this by a Respiratory Therapist friend tomorrow!

[stopdiggin]

6. can these cells be 'transplanted'

and used to repair other tissues showing damage or weakness? And 2) given the presence of these cells in the lungs - why has damage to the lungs proven to be so intractable?

In any case. Great find, great post.

[mercuryblues]

7. I think that is what they will be studying

If a transplant of healthy cells will help treat diseases like COPD. And if it does, does it repair damage already done.

[Aristus]

17. The vast majority of lung diseases being evaluated and treated in clinics and hospitals these days

are due to cigarette smoking. Even if nicotine wasn't one of the most addictive substances known to man, the tobacco companies would still be adding as many as 2,500 different substances to their product to make it more addictive, to get smokers addicted more quickly, and keep them longer, preferable for life (or until death, if you will).

Most of those substances are very caustic and corrosive, and five hundred of them, like ammonia, strychnine, and methane, are toxic. This might account for why lung disease is so hard to treat.

[stopdiggin]

19. actually I was thinking more of 'farmer's lung'

'black lung' and victims of different types of pulmonary disease (TB?). Many of these people are dealing with exposures that happened 35-40 years ago. And the takeaway is that the lungs just aren't very good at 'repairing' themselves. (first to admit, not a physician)

[TeamProg]

8. Wow! God works in mysterious ways!

Me: How old is the earth?

Evangelical: Seven thousand years old.

Me: How old is the universe?

Evangelical: We aren't sure, maybe seven thousand years old, maybe forever.

Me: How long has God been around?

Evangelical: Oh, well, God has been around forever.

Me: So, how can we human earth creatues be THAT important if God has been around for all time and we've only been around for seven thousand years?! How special are we? What was God doing with all of his free time?


* crickets *

[Hugin]

9. That must've been an awkward conversation...

Um, well… We’re going to need a little sample of your lung.

You’ll never miss it. A tiny pinch.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

10. This is fascinating and amazing.

I worry most days about my lungs. Tissues become weaker with age. I notice a great deal of loss in my breathing ability now that I'm in my 70s. As a singer I still need the ability to support and control breath. I wonder if the new found cells will add insights into the health of the lungs.

[Hugin]

12. This does explain something I've always been curious about...

The regenerative capacity of the lungs.

They seem able to bounce back fairly rapidly from minor damage. There are other organs in the body which seem to lack that ability. Unfortunately nerves are some of them.

I wonder if some aspects of these cells could be adapted to heal other organs?

[SleeplessinSoCal]

15. We only just found them. I look forward to more studies. n/t

[comebackagain]

11. This is good news

Valuable new discovery! But no matter whether it is effective or not, it is better to smoke less for the sake of health.

[electric_blue68]

13. Fascinatng!

[Shanti Shanti Shanti]

14. Cells? I was hoping for vestigial gills, from our way back fishy ancestor days

[Delphinus]

21. Haha!

Wouldn't that be cool?!

[ananda]

18. Not new, just previously undiscovered cuz mice don't have them.

Interesting to say the least.

[Solomon]

20. Thanks for posting. I have COPD and there are some people who swear that lung damage isn't

necessarily irreversible.

[thenelm1]

22. Quite fascinating. Score another one for science.

(But I can already hear the protestations from the science ignorati - just another secret plot by Dr. Fauci and mainstream medicine to make us do whatever...)

[ratchiweenie]

23. Amazing. They've been there all along and we are now discovering them. Isn't science wonderful!!!

[FakeNoose]

24. Science is awesome

[keithbvadu2]

25. We are an ultra-complicated electrical/chemical machine.

We are an ultra-complicated electrical/chemical machine.

We can sometimes take horribly severe damage and live.

A simple injury or tiniest organism can sometimes kill us.

[Lucid Dreamer]

26. Now kids on the playground will be bragging, "My RAS is bigger than yours!" nt

[ismnotwasm]

27. Interesting!