Scientists have identified several previously unrecognised changes in gene expression and cellular interactions in distinct cell populations in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, Yale University and other institutions, highlighted the complexity and diversity of cellular injury and inflammation in the disease in a study, published in Nature Communications. The study used single-cell RNA sequencing to analyse gene expression profiles of lung tissue obtained from patients with COPD and from mice exposed to cigarette smoke. The new study provides a better understanding of the factors and processes involved in COPD for developing targeted therapies.