Researchers have, however, succeeded in getting mice to take up and express luminescent genes in lung cells.
In this case, cancerous lung cells begin producing a nerve-cell gate protein.
The treatment aimed at killing the cancer can also eliminate functional lung cells (pneumocytes).
Human lung cells were flown to examine the biochemical characteristics of cell cultures in the microgravity environment.
Could it have been an errant gene that suddenly allowed lung cells to run amok?
Mutations in the genetic material of the lung cells cause the instructions for those cells to go awry.
Sputum has some normal lung cells in it.
Amiloride, a diuretic, appears to work by reducing the lung cells' absorption of salt and water.
Under normal circumstances, alveolar macrophages and other lung cells produce a variety of chemokines.
If inhaled, they can bombard lung cells, ultimately causing cancer.