ty -jour t1-来自胚胎干细胞的肺泡上皮II型细胞：闪闪发光的盔甲中的骑士？JF-欧洲呼吸杂志JO -EUR RESSIR J SP -240 LP -241 DO -10.1183/09031936.00162111 VL -39 IS -2 AU -FEHRENBACH，H。Y1- Y1-2012/02/01 UR -HTTP：//ERJ.ERSJOURNALS。com/content/39/2/240.abstract N2 - Today, the pulmonary epithelium is generally accepted to possess unique properties that go far beyond the role as a mere physical barrier protecting an organism’s interior against the detrimental effects exerted by airborne environmental challenges, such as gases, particles, allergens or microorganisms. The specific tasks respiratory epithelial cells have to fulfil differ along the bronchiotracheal tract down to the alveoli [1, 2]. Accordingly, there is a continuous change in the cellular composition of the epithelium along the airway tract reflecting remarkable structural and functional differentiation. Besides long-known roles of the epithelium, such as mucociliary clearance, lung fluid balance and surfactant homeostasis, which assure the removal of particles and cells, the avoidance of oedema and the proper adjustment of surface tension, respectively, are additional important functions that have been identified in recent years related to the regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses [3–6].In order to guarantee that these functions, which are critical for the proper function of the lungs, can be maintained continuously, mechanisms of epithelial repair and regeneration involving a plethora of mediators and pathways have evolved [7]. Region-specific epithelial “task forces”, i.e. local progenitor cells including alveolar epithelial type II cells (AECII), or perhaps only a specific subset of these [8], are “defined” to accomplish epithelial repair and regeneration in the different regions along the respiratory tract [9–11]. Until a recent study … ER -