The mucus clearance system is the dominant mechanical host defense system of the human
lung. Mucus is cleared from the lung by cilia and airflow, including both two-phase gas-liquid …

The gastrointestinal tract is a highly proliferative and regenerative tissue. The intestine also
harbors a large and diverse microbial population collectively called the gut microbiome …

Asthma is chronic inflammation of the airways characterized by airway hyper-
responsiveness, wheezing, cough, and dyspnea. Asthma affects> 350 million people …

Asthma is characterized by mucus abnormalities. Airway epithelial hyperplasia and
metaplasia result in changes in stored and secreted mucin and the production of a …

Rationale: MUC5AC and MUC5B are the predominant gel-forming mucins in the mucus
layer of human airways. Each mucin has distinct functions and site-specific expression …

Respiratory surfaces are exposed to billions of particulates and pathogens daily. A
protective mucus barrier traps and eliminates them through mucociliary clearance (MCC) …

Pulmonary defense against environmental injury depends on airway mucus, which traps
inhaled toxins that are then cleared from the lungs by ciliary beating and cough. This review …

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an incurable complex genetic disorder that is
associated with sequence changes in 7 genes (MUC5B, TERT, TERC, RTEL1, PARN …

In asthma, airflow obstruction is thought to result primarily from inflammation-triggered
airway smooth muscle (ASM) contraction. However, anti-inflammatory and smooth muscle …

The clinical manifestations of asthma are caused by obstruction of the conducting airways of
the lung. Two airway cell types are critical for asthma pathogenesis: epithelial cells and …