With MSCs, ATII cells upregulated the genes coding surfactant protein D and ENaC subunit beta while they downregulated gene expression for genes associated with apoptosis, such as caspase 8, and cytokines, such as CXCL10, which has been linked to ARDS pathogenesis (Ichikawa et al. Here, CXCL10 is linked to acute respiratory distress syndrome.