Immunotargeting: a contemporary approach to the study of lung development

This commentary discusses an immunological approach to lung development that has been termed immunotargeting. The approach involves the use of monoclonal antibody technology to identify cell membrane antigens unique to cells of particular lineage or stage of differentiation. Methods of using the antibodies to focus on important unresolved questions relating to development, particularly of the pulmonary epithelium, are discussed. Antigens and membrane molecules, which have already been identified and which may be useful in this type of approach to respiratory epithelial cell differentiation, are enumerated and briefly described.