Rare lung cells trigger rapid repair after smoke or virus exposure in mice—a similar pathway may exist in humans

Rare lung cells trigger rapid repair after smoke or virus exposure in mice—a similar pathway may exist in humans

A rare cell in the lining of lungs is fundamental to the organ-wide response necessary to repair damage from toxins like those in wildfire smoke or respiratory viruses, Stanford Medicine researchers and their colleagues have found. A similar process occurs in the pancreas, where the cells, called neuroendocrine cells, initiate a biological cascade that protects insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells from damage.