Alveolar type II epithelial cell (ATII) (ATII)

Alveolar type II (ATII) epithelial cells, also known as type II pneumocytes, are specialized cuboidal cells located within the lung alveoli that are essential for respiratory function and lung homeostasis (StatPearls, 2023). Their most vital biological role is the production and secretion of pulmonary surfactant, a complex of phospholipids and proteins that reduces surface tension at the air-liquid interface to prevent alveolar collapse (NIH, 2021). Beyond surfactant production, ATII cells serve as the resident progenitor cells for the alveolar epithelium, capable of self-renewal and differentiation into alveolar type I (ATI) cells following lung injury (PubMed, 2020). In clinical contexts, ATII cell dysfunction is a hallmark of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) and Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome, and these cells are the primary targets for SARS-CoV-2 infection due to their high expression of the ACE2 receptor (PubMed, 2021). Pharmacological interventions include exogenous surfactant replacement therapies like Beractant and the use of corticosteroids to accelerate ATII cell maturation in preterm infants (PubChem, 2023).

Other names

Type II pneumocyteAlveolar epithelial cell type IIAEC2AT2 cell

Surfactant replacement therapy to restore alveolar surface tension, corticosteroid-induced maturation of the alveolar epithelium, and modulation of fibrotic and inflammatory signaling pathways.