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REVIEW article
Front. Neurosci.
Sec. Neuroendocrine Science
Volume 18 - 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1438188
Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Cells: Crucial Players in Respiratory Function and Airway-Nerve communication
Provisionally accepted- 1 The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
- 2 Canyon Crest Academy, San Diego, California, United States
- 3 Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore, Singapore
Pulmonary neuroendocrine cells (PNECs) are unique airway epithelial cells that blend neuronal and endocrine functions, acting as key sensors in the lung. They respond to environmental stimuli like allergens by releasing neuropeptides and neurotransmitters. PNECs stand out as the only lung epithelial cells innervated by neurons, suggesting a significant role in airway-nerve communication via direct neural pathways and hormone release.Pathological conditions such as asthma are linked to increased PNECs counts and elevated calcitonin generelated peptide (CGRP) production, which may affect neuroprotection and brain function. CGRP is also associated with neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, potentially due to its influence on inflammation and cholinergic activity. Despite their low numbers, PNECs are crucial for a wide range of functions, highlighting the importance of further research. Advances in technology for producing and culturing human PNECs enable the exploration of new mechanisms and cell-specific responses to targeted therapies for PNEC-focused treatments.
Keywords: pulmonary neuroendocrine cells, Lung, Brain, Stem Cells, HPSC, IPSC
Received: 25 May 2024; Accepted: 04 Jul 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 Thakur, Mei, Zhang, Zhang, Taslakjian, Lian, Wu, Chen, Solway and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Abhimanyu Thakur, The University of Chicago, Chicago, 60637, Illinois, United States
Shuya Mei, The University of Chicago, Chicago, 60637, Illinois, United States
Noel Zhang, Canyon Crest Academy, San Diego, 92130, California, United States
Boghos Taslakjian, The University of Chicago, Chicago, 60637, Illinois, United States
Jiacee Lian, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore, Singapore
Bohao Chen, The University of Chicago, Chicago, 60637, Illinois, United States
Julian Solway, The University of Chicago, Chicago, 60637, Illinois, United States
Huanhuan J. Chen, The University of Chicago, Chicago, 60637, Illinois, United States
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