Epithelial stem and progenitor cells in the postnatal mouse lung

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Our bodies are constantly undergoing maintenance work in order to sustain normal organ function. In the lung this maintenance is carried out by progenitor cells which are able to divide to replace old or damaged cells. The behaviour of these progenitor cells must be tightly controlled so that our lungs always have the correct numbers and types of different cells. The structure of the lung is altered in many human lung conditions and this is likely to be a contributing factor to various lung diseases. It is therefore important to understand the progenitor cell system both in normal adult lungs and models of human lung conditions. I have developed a panel of genetically modified mice which allow me to manipulate gene expression in lung epithelial progenitors. I propose to use these mice to:1. Distinguish between sub-sets of progenitor cells which are thought to have different roles in normal lung maintenance.2. Identify the genetic mechanisms which regulate the behaviour of progenitor cells in the normal adult lung. This knowledge will greatly enhance our understanding of normal lung function, and changes associated with various diseases. Ultimately it could lead to the development of methods to prevent or cure these diseases.