Single cell transcriptome analysis of distal adult human lung airway cells

To comprehensively study the heterogeneity within distal airway epithelium, we performed single cell transcriptomic analysis of the normal human donor lung samples. Our analysis reveals that secretory (club) and basal cells in the distal lung airway epithelial cells are highly heterogenous. Further interrogation of secretory cells identified a subpopulation with potential for alveolar differentiation in vitro, implicating distal lung airway secretory cells as new candidates in alveolar repair and regeneration. Overall design: Single cells were isolated via flow cytometry based on EPCAM and HTII-280 from an unidentified human donor lung tissue