Decoding the immune and structural landscapes of the prenatal and emphysematous lung at the single-cell level

The work presented in this thesis provides profiles of the developing embryonic lung immune cells and epithelial cells in the human fetal lung, Furthermore, in this thesis, comprehensive information is provided on the pathophysiology of emphysema and the consequence of lung volume reduction surgery (LVRS) and bone marrow derived mesenchymal stromal cell (BM-MSC) treatment on immune profiles. The findings in this thesis will facilitate further mechanistic studies of immune cells and structural cells in emphysema. We also anticipate that these previously unrecognized immune cell populations and damaged lung structural cells may offer insights into potential treatment strategies.