Discovery of a new type of lung cells involved in cystic fibrosis
The human body never stops to surprise us! American researchers have discovered a new type of cell that makes up 1% of our lungs and plays a role in the onset of cystic fibrosis.
Biologists at Harvard University, in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), analyzed the gene expression of tens of thousands of lung cells and came across a new type of cell.
And this discovery has been named “pulmonary ionocytes”.
Biologists have chosen this name because these new cells are similar to ionocytes, cells present in the gills of fish.
But, these cells cause a high production of body fluids, such as mucus or sweat, that accumulate in the organs.
However, the accumulation of too much mucus in the lungs is mainly responsible for cystic fibrosis, the most common genetic disease in Europe and that affects more than 70,000 people worldwide.
These new results show that the CFTR activity is concentrated in this small population of pulmonary ionocytes, which until then were unknown. This discovery paves the way for new researches.
