Description
Better understanding alveolarization mechanisms could help improving prevention and treatment of diseases characterized by reduced alveolar number, especially bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). Although signaling through fibroblast growth factor (FGF) receptors is essential for alveolarization, involved ligands are unidentified. FGF18 whose expression peaks during alveolar septation is likely to be involved. Herein, a mouse model of inducible, lung-targeted FGF18-transgene was used to advance the onset of FGF18 expression, and genome-wide expression changes were determined.