Respiratory tract epithelium

The respiratory tract epithelium is a tissue type lining the majority of the airway surfaces, composed predominantly of ciliated pseudostratified columnar epithelial cells, goblet cells, basal cells, and in more distal bronchioles, club cells and alveolar epithelial cells. Its primary roles are to humidify air, trap and clear pathogens and particulates through mucociliary action, and function as a dynamically regulated barrier involved in immune responses. The epithelium is pivotal in maintaining respiratory homeostasis and is highly adaptive and regenerative after injury. Dysfunction of the respiratory epithelium is central to the pathogenesis of various airway diseases, including asthma, COPD, cystic fibrosis, and respiratory infections; thus, it is a non-specific tissue "target" for inhaled or topical therapies, but not a canonical drug target in the molecular sense.

Other names

Respiratory epitheliumAirway epitheliumRespiratory mucosa

For glucocorticoids and anti-inflammatory drugs, the primary actions are reduction of inflammation, modulation of epithelial cytokine secretion, and restoration of barrier function