The role of pulmonary fibroblasts in alveolar septation

Alveolar fibroblasts are necessary for the process of septation as PDGFRα knock-out prevented alveolar myofibroblast differentiation and completely blocked secondary septa formation[1]. Lipofibroblasts have been proposed to be essential for septation, peak in number during septation and regress significantly once septation is done. Whether PDGFRα expressing precursors are differentiating into both lineages of alveolar fibroblasts (lipo- and myofibroblasts) during lung development is not known as well as the cellular differentiation and transition into one or the other fibroblast type is unsolved. Adipocyte diffe…