Breathe—Your immune system is counting on it

Abstract

Always, but especially in these times of COVID pandemic, we know the dangers of breathing into our lungs a deadly pathogen. Fortunately, healthy lungs are equipped with an innate immune system that works to clear those pathogens. A study in this issue (2021. J. Exp. Med.https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20201831) shows, for the first time, that breathing-induced changes in the pH of the airway surface contribute to bacterial killing, pointing to new therapeutic strategies for maintaining pulmonary health.