Tulane pulmonary researchers, Drs. Yong Zhou, Zhen Zheng, Victor J. Thannickal, Joseph A. Lasky, and Shigeki Sait, developed a precision approach to target injury-stalled alveolar stem cells and reduce lung fibrosis, and published their findings in a new Nature Communications study.

Beyond the biological insight, the work demonstrates a broader concept: single-cell transcriptomic signatures can be used to guide highly selective interventions in complex tissues like the lung. The longterm implication is that future strategies might not only remove harmful cell states, but potentially reprogram them to support normal repair.

Read the full article