Alveolar Repair Following Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Injury Requires Cell-Extracellular Matrix Interactions

To test if β1-containing integrins are required during repair following acute injury, scientists administered E. coli lipopolysaccharide (LPS) by intratracheal injection to mice with a post-developmental deletion of β1 integrin in AT2 cells. β1-deficient AT2 cells showed persistently increased proliferation after injury, which was blocked by inhibiting NF-kB activation.