The knowledge about surfactant biology is now deeper and recent research has allowed to
clarify its role in several human lung disorders. The balance between surfactant production …

Since the first medical description of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) three
decades ago, there has been growing evidence that disturbance of the lung surfactant …

Pulmonary surfactant is a crucial and dynamic lung structure whose primary functions are to
reduce alveolar surface tension and facilitate breathing. Though disruptions in surfactant …

Pulmonary surfactant is an essential lipid-protein complex that stabilizes the respiratory units
(alveoli) involved in gas exchange. Quantitative or qualitative derangements in surfactant …

A deficiency in alveolar surfactant due to immaturity of alveolar type II epithelial cells causes
respiratory distress syndrome (RDS). In contrast to animals, the fetal maturation of surfactant …

Surfactant dysfunction constitutes an important element in the complex pathophysiology of
acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). In this disease, surfactant may become …

The first successful clinical pilot studies of surfactant replacement were published about 20
years ago as a logical extension of experimental studies showing beneficial effects in pre …

Lung surfactant is crucial for optimal pulmonary function throughout life. An absence or
deficiency of surfactant can affect the surfactant pool leading to respiratory distress. Even if …

The importance of pulmonary surfactant in maintaining normal lung function, and the
observations that alterations in endogenous surfactant contribute to the lung dysfunction …

This chapter details the composition and activity of pulmonary surfactant, and the
mechanisms by which it becomes dysfunctional during lung injury. Pulmonary surfactant has …