Stem cell therapy for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), characterized by persistent and not fully reversible airflow restrictions, is currently one of the most widespread chronic lung diseases in the world. The most common symptoms of COPD are cough, expectoration, and exertional dyspnea. Although various strategies have been developed during the last few decades, current medical treatment for COPD only focuses on the relief of symptoms, and the reversal of lung function deterioration and improvement in patient's quality of life are very limited. Consequently, development of novel effective therapeutic strategies for COPD is urgently needed. Stem cells were known to differentiate into a variety of cell types and used to regenerate lung parenchyma and airway structures. Stem cell therapy is a promising therapeutic strategy that has the potential to restore the lung function and improve the quality of life in patients with COPD. This review summarizes the current state of knowledge regarding the clinical research on the treatment of COPD with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and aims to update the understanding of the role of MSCs in COPD treatment, which may be helpful for developing effective therapeutic strategies in clinical settings.

Emerging Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Chronic Respiratory Diseases: An Overview of Recent Progress

“…Intratracheal delivery and intravenous administration are main routes of MSC-EVs in the treatment of chronic respiratory diseases. Compared with intravenous administration, intratracheal administration is a more direct and accurate treatment mode (Chen et al, 2021). An intraperitoneal route could be selected based on its advantages for multiple or daily treatments of EVs (Maremanda et al, 2019).…”

Mesenchymal Stem Cells from COPD Patients Are Capable of Restoring Elastase-Induced Emphysema in a Murine Experimental Model

“…However, MSCs have subsequently been isolated from different sources, including umbilical cord (UC-MSC) and adipose tissue (AD-MSC) [ 11 ]. UC-MSC can be easily isolated in large numbers, have a stable surface marker expression in early passages (passages 4 ± 8), and the expression of immune response-related surface antigens, such as CD40, CD40 ligand, CD80, and CD86, is absent, facilitating the escape from the host immune attack [ 12 , 13 ]. On the other hand, AD-MSCs can be isolated more easily and in greater quantities than BM-MSCs and, unlike UC-MSCs, AD-MSC can be isolated from COPD patients themselves.…”

“…On the other hand, AD-MSCs can be isolated more easily and in greater quantities than BM-MSCs and, unlike UC-MSCs, AD-MSC can be isolated from COPD patients themselves. In addition, some clinical studies have shown that administration of BM-MSC in patients with emphysema is safe but could not report a clear beneficial effect [ 10 , 13 ].…”

Investigating the Immunomodulatory Potential of Dental Pulp Stem Cell Cultured on Decellularized Bladder Hydrogel towards Macrophage Response In Vitro

“…Several studies have reported the anti-inflammatory effects of MSCs in animal models resulting from a significant reduction in pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as TNF-α, and an increase in anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-10 [ 6 , 7 ]. Presently, the majority of clinical trials employ intravenous infusion as the main method to transplant MSCs into patients [ 8 ]. However, in a phase I clinical trial conducted by Armitage et al, the authors found that, after the stem cells were injected into the body intravenously, they only stayed in the lungs for the first half hour and then gradually migrated to the liver [ 9 ].…”