NPR

Experimental Lung Treatment Could Make Breathing Easier

Lung surfactant coats tiny air sacs in the lung. Without it, every breath is a struggle, like blowing up millions of little balloons. With surfactant, breathing is as easy as blowing soap bubbles.
An image from an electron microscope shows a type II alveolar cell, found in the air sacs of lungs. In the cell's cytoplasm (pink) are lamellar bodies (purple), which contain surfactant.

An engineer in California has an invention that she hopes will someday help people with damaged lungs breathe easier.

Stanford University's has developed a synthetic version of something called lung surfactant. Lung surfactant coats the tiny air sacs in the lung. Without

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