Abigail Koeppel
Research Mentor: Rachel Zemans
Mentor Department: Internal Medicine, Medicine
Author(s): Rachel Zemans
Session: Session 4 (1:00 PM – 1:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 16
Abstract
In human lungs, an epithelial lining protects the lungs while maintaining strict yet efficient gas exchange between the environment and the person. When disease injures the lungs, epithelial cells die and gaps form in the lining, dangerously exposing underlying tissue to blood-borne factors and toxins. This damage also allows inhaled particles, pathogens, and environmental toxins to travel deeper into the lungs instead of being cleared through normal breathing. The lung epithelium is primarily composed of two cell types: alveolar type I (AT1) and alveolar type II (AT2) cells. AT1 cells form a thin surface essential for gas exchange, while AT2 cells help maintain lung structure and stability. Previous studies have examined the timing of cell death after lung injury and suggest that AT1 cells are the primary cells undergoing cell death; however, there is limited data on the timing of AT1 cell death and on the rate and mechanisms by which AT2 cells replace them following injury. The mechanisms by which AT2 cells convert into AT1 cells are also not yet well understood. Therefore, this study used imaging of mouse lungs to investigate AT1 and AT2 cell responses after injury and to examine patterns of damage and repair.
