Mesenchymal stem cells for therapeutic applications in pulmonary medicine (original) (raw)

2015, British medical bulletin

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) of different biological sources are in Phase 1 clinical trials and are being considered for Phase 2 therapy of lung disorders, and lung (progenitor) cells derived from pluripotent stem cells (SCs) are under development in preclinical animal models. PubMed.gov and ClinicalTrials.gov. There is consensus about the therapeutic potential of transplanted SCs, mainly MSCs, primarily involves paracrine 'bystander' effects that confer protection of the epithelial and endothelial linings of the lung caused by inflammation and/or fibrosis and lead to increased survival in animal models. Clinical trials of Phase 1 indicate safety and suggest that the efficacy of SC therapy in patients with various lung diseases will require a higher dosage than previously evaluated. A growing interest in the re-epithelialization and re-endothelialization of damaged lung tissue involves the putative pulmonary differentiation of exogenous MSCs. Currently, it is not clear whet...