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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
Abhimanyu Thakur Abhimanyu Thakur 1*Shuya Mei Shuya Mei 1*Noel Zhang Noel Zhang 2*Kui Zhang Kui Zhang 1Boghos Taslakjian Boghos Taslakjian 1*Jiacee Lian Jiacee Lian 3*Shuang Wu Shuang Wu 1Bohao Chen Bohao Chen 1*Julian Solway Julian Solway 1*Huanhuan J. Chen Huanhuan J. Chen 1*
  • 1 The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States
  • 2 Canyon Crest Academy, San Diego, California, United States
  • 3 Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Singapore, Singapore

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    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

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.