Coordination of Genetic, Epigenetic, and Environmental Factors in Lung Development, Injury, and Repair

Abstract

Lung development is regulated by a number of genetic and epigenetic factors including transcriptional factors, peptide growth factor receptor-mediated signaling, and environmental influences including lung fluid volume, mechanical strain, and hyperoxia. These inputs are integrated during the normal process of lung organogenesis to determine organized patterns of cellular proliferation and cell lineage differentiation and to correlate structure with physiologic function. Lung development extends from branching morphogenesis in early embryonic life through the critical transition from fetal life to air breathing, up to the completion of alveolarization which occurs postnatally.