Airway basal cell

Airway basal cells are epithelial progenitor/stem cells located at the base of the airway epithelium, attached to the basal lamina. They maintain epithelial integrity by self-renewal and by differentiating into most other major airway epithelial cell types, especially after injury. Basal cells are defined by expression of marker proteins such as TP63, KRT5, KRT14, and sometimes YAP. They play critical roles not just in facilitating epithelial repair but also in mounting innate immune responses and communicating with other cell types via cytokine and growth factor release. Basal cell dysfunction, abnormal differentiation, or expansion are features of a number of airway diseases, including COPD, asthma, and various lung cancers. Therefore, although basal cells are not drug targets themselves, understanding their biology may inform future regenerative therapies, disease models, or cancer treatments.

Other names

Basal cell (of airway epithelium)respiratory basal cellairway epithelial basal cell