According to a story from Science Alert, the human body is a grand and complex natural structure. While it is easy to think of the body as a single entity, it is humbling to realize that the body is made up of an endless variety of cells with different roles, all working in harmony to perform the functions of the body. In addition, the body itself is an ecosystem, a habitat for millions of single-celled organisms. With all of this intricacy in mind, it shouldn’t be too surprising to hear that scientists from two entirely independent research projects have discovered a new type of lung cell, and it could seriously impact science’s current understanding of rare disease cystic fibrosis.
About Cystic Fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a disorder that can have impacts throughout the body, but it is most commonly characterized by the build up of abnormally thick, sticky mucus in the lungs. This buildup causes a progressive decline in lung function and also makes the patient far more vulnerable to lung infections. Most cystic fibrosis patients must take antibiotics for much of their lives. This genetic disorder is caused by mutations of the CFTR gene. Symptoms of the disorder include breathing problems, lung and sinus infections, coughing up mucus, fatty stool, poor growth, male infertility, and clubbed digits. Treatment usually includes treatments and procedures to maintain lung function and avoid infection. As the disorder becomes more severe, lung transplant may be an option. Life expectancy with cystic fibrosis is typically around 40 to 50 years. To learn more about cystic fibrosis, click here.
About Pulmonary Ionocytes
This new lung cell type has been called a pulmonary ionocyte. The reason this new cell type could play a role in cystic fibrosis is because it expresses high levels of the CFTR protein, which is an essential part of the disease mechanism. In fact, these appear to be the only cells that express the CFTR protein in significant amounts in the lungs. Meddling with pulmonary ionocytes in mice also triggered symptoms similar to cystic fibrosis.
Revolutionizing Lung Disease Research
The discovery of this new cell type is a game changer for the study of lung diseases as a whole. While it is clear that more study of these cells may one day confirm that they are a central part of cystic fibrosis, they could also have an impact on other illnesses as well.
You can check out the original studies here and here.
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