Several acute and chronic inflammatory pathologies of the lung are accompanied by structural modifications of
airway mucosa that vary depending on the severity, duration and type of the disease. These morphological changes, that
determine organ dysfunction, are not always reversible. Indeed, the cycle of injury and repair, influencing airway wall regeneration, may sometimes break off and an exacerbation of the pathology may occur. The mechanisms at the base of
airway remodelling during inflammation have been widely studied and numerous evidences indicate that the molecular
dialogue among the cells of the mucosa has an essential role in orchestrating cell differentiation and tissue repair. In this
review, we revise old notions on pulmonary morphology at the light of some of the most recent discoveries concerning
stem cell differentiation, tissue homeostasis and organ regeneration of the lung
