Lineage differentiation of pulmonary alveolar fibroblasts

Rationale: Alveolar fibroblasts are key cells to the process of alveolar septation as platelet derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRα) knock-out prevented alveolar myofibroblast differentiation and completely blocked secondary septa formation. Lipofibroblasts have been proposed to be essential for septation, peak in number during septation and regress significantly thereafter. Whether PDGFRα expressing precursors are deriving both lineages of alveolar fibroblasts is not known and transitions in between one or the other fibroblast type are not resolved. The aims of this work are to analyse the developmental fib…