The airway contains a variety of cells, but the primary cell types are ciliated cells, goblet cells, and basal cells. These cells work together to maintain airway health and function.
Main Airway Cell Types:
- Ciliated Cells: These cells cover the airway surface. Their cilia, tiny hair-like structures, beat rhythmically to move mucus and trapped particles out of the airways. [Source: The respiratory epithelium in trachea and bronchi is pseudostratified and primarily consists of three main cell types – cilia cells, goblet cells, and basal cells. The ciliated cells are located across the apical surface and facilitate the movement of mucus across the airway tract.]
- Goblet Cells: These are secretory cells that produce and release mucus. This mucus traps inhaled foreign substances like dust, bacteria, and allergens. [Source: Goblet cells are situated in the epithelium of the conducting airways, often with their apical surfaces protruding into the lumen, a location which fits... The primary function of airway goblet cells is to secrete mucins onto the internal surface of the respiratory tract, thereby forming a liquid layer (...)] [Source: Secretory cells dominate CFTR expression and function in human airway superficial epithelia. CFTR therapies may need to restore CFTR function to multiple cell...]
- Basal Cells: These are stem cells located at the base of the epithelium. They play a crucial role in airway repair and regeneration by differentiating into ciliated and goblet cells. [Source: Three major cell types are found in this region: ciliated, non-ciliated secretory cells, and basal cells. Ciliated cells, each lined with 200 to...]
Other Airway Cell Types:
Beyond these three main types, other cells contribute to airway function, including:
- Neuroendocrine cells: These cells release hormones and neurotransmitters, influencing airway tone and reactivity.
- Brush cells: These cells have microvilli and may have sensory functions.
- Ionocytes: These cells regulate ion transport, which is important for maintaining airway hydration.
- Immune cells: Various immune cells, such as macrophages and lymphocytes, reside in the airway and defend against pathogens. [Source: The airway epithelium is an immunologically active barrier surface that senses changes in the airway environment and interacts with resident and recruited...]
Lonza, a biotech company, highlights the diversity by offering a range of human respiratory epithelial cells, including smooth muscle, fibroblast, and endothelial cells. [Source: Lonza offers a comprehensive range of normal human respiratory epithelial, smooth muscle, fibroblast and endothelial cells with a broad donor variety.]
The airway epithelium is complex and its cells exhibit functional and cellular heterogeneity along its length. [Source: Here we highlight recent advances regarding the cellular and functional heterogeneity along the airway epithelium and discuss how we can use this knowledge.]
