... data suggest that the origins of some adult lung diseases are found in embryonic development and childhood. The convergence of these research themes has fuelled a resurgence of interest in human lung developmental biology. In this Review, we discuss our current understanding of human lung development...

... signals to regulate specific populations of progenitor cells is an open question and merits further study. Many obstructive lung diseases, including chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis and asthma, are characterized by mucous metaplasia and mucous hypersecretion, leading to airflow obstruction...