Immune cells shape lung before birth and provide new avenues for treating respiratory diseases

Immune cells play an active and intimate role in directing the growth of human lung tissue during development, researchers find, revolutionising our understanding of early lung development and the role of immune cells outside of immunity.

The research offers new insights for understanding and treating respiratory conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Respiratory conditions account for almost 20 per cent of all deaths in children under five years worldwide1.

The work reveals a surprising coordination between the immune and respiratory systems, much earlier in development than previously thought. This discovery raises questions about the potential role of immune cells in other developing organs across the body.

This study has created a first-of-its-kind immune cell atlas of the developing lung2. It is part of the international Human Cell Atlas3 initiative, which is mapping every cell type in the human body, to transform our understanding of health, infection and disease.

The findings, published today (15 December) in Science Immunology, will help shed light on the mechanisms behind childhood lung diseases.

They identified key regulators of lung development, including signalling molecule IL-1β and IL-13 that facilitate the coordination of lung stem cells differentiating into specialised mature cell types.

These new insights into mechanisms in early lung formation will also contribute to the development of new therapeutic approaches for regenerating damaged lung tissue and restoring lung function.

Reference: Immune cells shape lung before birth and provide new avenues for treating respiratory diseases; Science Immunology, DOI:10.1126/sciimmunol.adf9988