Stem cell therapy in pulmonary hypertension: current practice and future opportunities

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive disease characterised by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure and right-sided heart failure. While conventional drug therapies, including prostacyclin analogues, endothelin receptor antagonists and phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, have been shown to improve the haemodynamic abnormalities of patients with PH, the 5-year mortality rate remains high. Thus, novel therapies are urgently required to prolong the survival of patients with PH. Stem cell therapies, including mesenchymal stem cells, endothelial progenitor cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, have shown therapeutic potential for the treatment of PH and clinical trials on stem cell therapies for PH are ongoing. This review aims to present the latest preclinical achievements of stem cell therapies, focusing on the therapeutic effects of clinical trials and discussing the challenges and future perspectives of large-scale applications.

Unlocking the Future: Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Lung Repair

“…The pathogenesis of PAH is multifaceted, and the underlying mechanisms are still not fully elucidated [16,18]. PA blood flow obstruction and thus an increase in PVR with subsequent right ventricular remodeling and finally right heart failure are the consequences [16,[18][19][20], leading to an average lifespan of 5-7 years after diagnosis [17,21].…”

“…However, these therapeutics are still not able to cure or reverse PAH by addressing its molecular mechanisms and, therefore, only possess the potential for symptomatic relief and slowing down disease progression under acceptance of severe adverse effects [17,20]. Thus, the development of novel regenerative therapeutic strategies that target pulmonary vascular ECs are urgently required, and replacement of ECs carrying PAH-causing mutations by genetically corrected or healthy WT hiPS-ECs could offer hope for patients struggling with this deleterious disease [17,18,21].…”

Expression Profiles of circRNAs and Identification of hsa_circ_0007608 and hsa_circ_0064656 as Potential Biomarkers for COPD-PH Patients

“…6 With efforts being made to develop drug therapies and interventional therapies, existing treatments can improve patients' symptoms mainly by lessening the pulmonary vasoconstriction, but have no significant effects on reversing pulmonary vascular remodeling. 7 Therefore, it is crucial that COPD-PH patients be diagnosed at an early stage and novel diagnostic biomarkers and molecular targets be explored to bring light into the mechanism of COPD-PH.…”