Lung repair and regeneration: Advanced models and insights into human disease

The respiratory system acts as both the primary site of gas exchange and an important sensor and barrier to the external environment. The increase in incidences of respiratory disease over the past decades has highlighted the importance of developing improved therapeutic approaches. This review will summarize recent research on the cellular complexity of the mammalian respiratory system with a focus on gas exchange and immunological defense functions of the lung. Different models of repair and regeneration will be discussed to help interpret human and animal data and spur the investigation of models and assays for future drug development.