Goblet cells are luminal cells of the epithelium secreting mucus. Theses have been termed nasal goblet cells because they expresss mainly MUC5AC as secreting mucin, and not MUC5B which can be found goblet cells from the submucosal glands but also from surface epithelial goblet cells from pulmonary airways.
Theu can also be distinguished from pulmonary airways goblet cells by the expression of developmental origin genes such as SIX3, PAX7, OTX2.