@article{2997817,
    title = "Club cells form lung adenocarcinomas and maintain the alveoli of adult mice",
    author = "Spella, M. and Lilis, I. and Pepe, M.A.A. and Chen, Y. and Armaka, M. and Lamort, A.-S. and Zazara, D.E. and Roumelioti, F. and Vreka, M. and Kanellakis, N.I. and Wagner, D.E. and Giannou, A.D. and Armenis, V. and Arendt, K.A.M. and Klotz, L.V. and Toumpanakis, D. and Karavana, V. and Zakynthinos, S.G. and Giopanou, I. and Marazioti, A. and Aidinis, V. and Sotillo, R. and Stathopoulos, G.T.",
    journal = "eLife",
    year = "2019",
    volume = "8",
    publisher = "eLife Sciences Publications Ltd",
    doi = "10.7554/eLife.45571",
    keywords = "cytokeratin 5;  green fluorescent protein;  surfactant protein C;  transcriptome, adult;  animal cell;  animal experiment;  animal model;  animal tissue;  Article;  bioluminescence;  Clara cell;  computer assisted tomography;  controlled study;  droplet digital polymerase chain reaction;  female;  flow cytometry;  fluorescence microscopy;  histology;  human;  human cell;  human tissue;  immunofluorescence;  lung adenocarcinoma;  lung alveolus;  lung function test;  lung lavage;  male;  micro-computed tomography;  microarray analysis;  mouse;  nonhuman;  phenotype;  protein expression;  retrospective study;  transcriptomics",
    abstract = "Lung cancer and chronic lung diseases impose major disease burdens worldwide and are caused by inhaled noxious agents including tobacco smoke. The cellular origins of environmental-induced lung tumors and of the dysfunctional airway and alveolar epithelial turnover observed with chronic lung diseases are unknown. To address this, we combined mouse models of genetic labeling and ablation of airway (club) and alveolar cells with exposure to environmental noxious and carcinogenic agents. Club cells are shown to survive KRAS mutations and to form lung tumors after tobacco carcinogen exposure. Increasing numbers of club cells are found in the alveoli with aging and after lung injury, but go undetected since they express alveolar proteins. Ablation of club cells prevents chemical lung tumors and causes alveolar destruction in adult mice. Hence club cells are important in alveolar maintenance and carcinogenesis and may be a therapeutic target against premalignancy and chronic lung disease. © eLife Sciences Publications Ltd. All rights reserved."
}