Epithelial Stem Cells in the Lung and Esophagus Responding to SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Jianwen Que, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Digestive & Liver Diseases
 

Epithelial stem cells quickly respond to virus-induced injuries. For example, in H1N1 infections, several populations of stem/progenitor cells (e.g. basal cells, type 2 alveolar cells) are mobilized to repair the lung. We are interested in examining whether similar phenotype is found in COVID19 patients and finding a way to use the mechanism to repair the lung and esophagus. We will examine the autopsies with biomarkers and extract cells from them for further analysis.