Epithelial Damage

Does Epithelial Damage Impact Fibrosis?

Epithelial cells line the alveoli, or air sacs, of the lungs. These cells allow materials to pass through by diffusion and filtration. Damaged epithelial cells lose their permeable qualities, blocking the passage of air through the lungs into the blood.

According to the hypothesis of injury/repair imbalance, the body can typically heal epithelial damage—up to a point. It’s possible that either excessive injury or an inability to stop the normal repair processes may lead to lung fibrosis. More research is needed in this area.