Credit: Rachael Liesman, PhD, UNC School of Medicine
Top series: images show the elongated shape of cells transforming into a ball shape before they shed from the lining of the airway to cause obstruction, a key reason why RSV leads to bronchiolitis. Middle series: Cilia (red), the hair-like projections of epithelial cells, are eradicated in the RSV-infected cells. It is the cilia of healthy cells that move mucus out of the airway. Bottom series: Close up of cilia being ravaged during infection.