Neurotrophin-4 dependency of intraepithelial vagal sensory nerve terminals that selectively contact pulmonary NEBs in mice

Stem cells and lung regeneration

The ability to replace defective cells in an airway with cells that can engraft, integrate, and restore a functional epithelium could potentially cure a number of lung diseases. Progress toward the development of strategies to regenerate the adult lung by either in vivo or ex vivo targeting of endogenous stem cells or pluripotent stem cell derivatives is limited by our fundamental lack of understanding of the mechanisms controlling human lung development, the precise identity and function of human lung stem and progenitor cell types, and the genetic and epigenetic control of human lung fate. In this review, we intend to discuss the known stem/progenitor cell populations, their relative differences between rodents and humans, their roles in chronic lung disease, and their therapeutic prospects. Additionally, we highlight the recent breakthroughs that have increased our understanding of these cell types. These advancements include novel lineage-traced animal models and single-cell RNA sequencing of human airway cells, which have provided critical information on the stem cell subtypes, transition states, identifying cell markers, and intricate pathways that commit a stem cell to differentiate or to maintain plasticity. As our capacity to model the human lung evolves, so will our understanding of lung regeneration and our ability to target endogenous stem cells as a therapeutic approach for lung disease.

Airway Innervation and Plasticity in Asthma

Airway nerves represent a mechanistically and therapeutically important aspect that requires better highlighting in the context of diseases such as asthma. Altered structure and function (plasticity) of afferent and efferent airway innervation can contribute to airway diseases. We describe established anatomy, current understanding of how plasticity occurs, and contributions of plasticity to asthma, focusing on target-derived growth factors (neurotrophins). Perspectives toward novel treatment strategies and future research are provided.

Mechanisms of respiratory innervation during embryonic development

During embryogenesis, the development of the respiratory tract is closely associated with the formation of an extensive neuronal network. While the topic of respiratory innervation is not new, and similar articles were published previously, recent studies using animal models and genetic tools are breathing new life into the field. In this review, we focus on signaling mechanisms that underlie innervation of the embryonic respiratory tract.

Development of the vagal innervation of the gut: steering the wandering nerve

BACKGROUND

The vagus nerve is the major neural connection between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system. During fetal development, axons from the cell bodies of the nodose ganglia and the dorsal motor nucleus grow into the gut to find their enteric targets, providing the vagal sensory and motor innervations respectively. Vagal sensory and motor axons innervate selective targets, suggesting a role for guidance cues in the establishment of the normal pattern of enteric vagal innervation.

PURPOSE

This review explores known molecular mechanisms that guide vagal innervation in the gastrointestinal tract. Guidance and growth factors, such as netrin-1 and its receptor, deleted in colorectal cancer, extracellular matrix molecules, such as laminin-111, and members of the neurotrophin family of molecules, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor have been identified as mediating the guidance of vagal axons to the fetal mouse gut. In addition to increasing our understanding of the development of enteric innervation, studies of vagal development may also reveal clinically relevant insights into the underlying mechanisms of vago-vagal communication with the gastrointestinal tract.