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Updated: Apr 13, 2026

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Alveolar development and disease.

Jeffrey A Whitsett1, Timothy E Weaver1

  • 1Perinatal Institute, Divisions of Neonatology, Perinatal and Pulmonary Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.

American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology
|May 2, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Pulmonary surfactant, crucial for infant lung function, is vital for preventing respiratory distress syndrome in preterm infants. Understanding surfactant production, homeostasis, and its role in lung disease is key for improving infant respiratory health.

Keywords:
lung developmentmaturationpulmonarysurfactant

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Area of Science:

  • Pulmonary physiology and developmental biology
  • Alveolar development and lung maturation
  • Surfactant system biochemistry and biophysics

Background:

  • Alveolar architecture is critical for gas exchange after birth, regulated by complex cellular and molecular networks.
  • Pulmonary surfactant, produced by alveolar epithelial cells, is essential for lung function at birth.
  • Prematurity leads to insufficient lung maturation and surfactant deficiency, causing respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the developmental aspects of the pulmonary surfactant system.
  • To highlight the importance of surfactant homeostasis in lung health and disease.
  • To discuss the role of surfactant in the pathogenesis of acute and chronic lung diseases.

Main Methods:

  • Review of physiological, engineering, biochemical, biophysical, and molecular biology insights.
  • Analysis of surfactant production, storage, secretion, recycling, and catabolism.
  • Examination of surfactant proteins, gene cloning, and their regulatory roles.

Main Results:

  • Early physiological and engineering advances enabled mechanical ventilation for neonates.
  • Biochemical and molecular studies elucidated the pulmonary surfactant system, leading to exogenous surfactant replacement therapy.
  • Identification and characterization of surfactant proteins have advanced understanding of alveolar homeostasis.

Conclusions:

  • The pulmonary surfactant system is fundamental to neonatal respiratory adaptation and overall lung health.
  • Dysregulation of surfactant homeostasis contributes to RDS and other lung pathologies.
  • Continued research into the surfactant system is vital for managing and treating diverse lung diseases.