Differentiating stem cells into type II Pneumocytes
Type II Pneumocytes is also referred to as type II alveolar (ATII) cells. It is responsible for the production of the surfactant molecule that helps maintain the elasticity of the lungs and reduce the surface tension of the pulmonary fluids. These cells can be derived from murine Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs) to promote lung regeneration and repair in case of an injury. The cell engineering can also help treat lung diseases. According to Polak et al. (2006), previous experiments for obtaining ATII from ESCs had yielded low cell yield. This led to the development of an elaborate three-step-strategy that ...
