Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
The search for cells that can regenerate lung tissue has been fueled by the need for improved clinical therapies for treatment of lung injury or degenerative lung diseases. Emerging techniques are allowing the identification of putative stem and progenitor cells in the lung and the understanding of the molecular mechanisms regulating lung development and regeneration.
Numerous neurodegenerative diseases show deposition of protein aggregates, which are thought to cause neuronal damage. This Review discusses how cell-to-cell transmission of these pathogenic misfolded proteins is involved in initiation and progression of the disease and examines the clinical relevance of different strains in the heterogeneity of neurodegenerative disorders.