PNNL

Abstract

At the end of the first month of embryonic development, a patch of cells of the foregut starts to express the transcription factor NKX2.1. This singular event is the inception of a cascade of molecular processes that ultimately will lead to the formation of mature lungs. The lungs are heterogeneous both from a structural and a cellular standpoint. The formation of its elegant branched and alveolar structures requires a plethora of molecular and cellular events to happen. Elucidating the orchestration of lung development is critical to reveal the underlying causes of a wide range of chronic and acute respiratory diseases. The exploration of lung organogenesis may allow us, someday, to fight diseases and to regenerate injured lungs. The appearance and the democratization of omics technologies have empowered scientists and clinicians with broad and fast tools to explore developmental biology. The number of omics datasets describing lung organogenesis is continuously growing. At each new generation, omics technologies are faster, more sensitive, and more accurate, thus depicting in more vivid details the biological processes at play.