John F. Engelhardt

Ncf1/Igfbp2 Signaling Regulates Airway Submucosal Gland Progenitor Fitness and Ionocyte Specification

Background Airway submucosal gland progenitors (SMGPs) serve as reserve stem cells for epithelial regeneration, yet mechanisms governing their long-term maintenance remain poorly understood. Here, we identify Ncf1/Igfbp2 signaling as a regulator of mouse SMGP fitness and epithelial lineage specification. Methods Mouse...

Lef1 Promotes Foxi1-Dependent Ionocyte Specification by Airway Submucosal Gland Progenitors

Pulmonary ionocytes are rare cells in submucosal gland (SMG)–containing airways thought to have specialized ion transport properties that regulate airway surface fluid and mucus composition. The origins of pulmonary ionocytes remain unclear, but their association with airway SMGs suggests they may arise from specialize...

Ferret Glandular Myoepithelial Cells Are Multipotent Airway Progenitors with a Secretory Lineage Bias.

KRT7 CreER Ferrets Enable Lineage Tracing of Ductal Epithelia and Pancreatic Remodeling

Keratin 7 (KRT7) is expressed in simple and ductal epithelia and is associated with epithelial plasticity during development, injury, and disease. However, the in vivo fate and regenerative behavior of KRT7⁺ cells remain poorly defined because lineage-tracing models are lacking in species that closely recapitulate huma...

KRT7 Marks an Airway Glandular Ductal Stem Cell Population That Supports Multilineage Development and Regeneration

The KRT7⁺ ductal niche is identified as a critical progenitor reservoir for airway development, homeostasis, and regeneration, with implications for cystic fibrosis therapies.