Stem cells in lung repair and regeneration: Current applications and future promise

Abstract

Lung diseases are major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The progress in regenerative medicine and stem cell research in the lung are currently a fast-growing research topic that can provide solutions to these major health problems. Under normal conditions, the rate of cellular proliferation is relatively low in the lung in vivo, compared to other major organ systems. Lung injury leads to the activation of stem/progenitor cell populations that re-enter the cell cycle. Yet, little is known about stem cells in the lung, despite common thoughts that these cells could play a critical role in the repair of lung injuries. Nor do we fully understand the cellular and architectural complexity of the respiratory tract, and the diverse stem/progenitor cells that are involved in the lung repair and regeneration. In this review, we discuss the conceptual framework of lung stem/progenitor cell biology, and describe lung diseases, in which stem cell manipulations may be physiologically significant. In addition, we highlight the challenges of lung stem cell-based therapy.

Fatty Acid Metabolism is Associated With Disease Severity After H7N9 Infection

“…These cells may be abrogated during H7N9 infection, so that epithelial damage worsens the ongoing pneumonia, thereby leading to the death of these patients. In addition to traditional treatments, novel therapies, such as stem-cell therapy, could be developed to reduce mortality by enhancing lung regeneration in patients with ARDS [ 20 , 58 ]. Moreover, small molecules that could boost the regenerative capacity of epithelial stem/progenitor cells should be screened by the drug industry.…”

Comparative Effects of Umbilical Cord- and Menstrual Blood-Derived MSCs in Repairing Acute Lung Injury

“…Although ALI pathophysiology and treatments have been investigated in many studies, effective pharmacotherapies or therapeutic strategies are limited [ 11 ]. MSCs may be a promising alternative for treating lung diseases [ 12 , 13 ], as increasing evidence supports the therapeutic effects of MSCs in pulmonary fibrosis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and ALI. Recent studies have also shown that transplantation of MSCs from the bone marrow, umbilical cord (UC), menstrual blood (MB), and adipose tissue can attenuate lung injury and inflammatory responses [ 14 – 16 ].…”

Cell-based therapy for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

“…Moreover, resident multipotent lung stem cells were isolated and wellcharacterized from adult mouse lung (97,98). Lung resident stem cells can produce different types of cytokines, growth factors and surfactant proteins, which are specific biomarker of the lung (35,38,39,96,(99)(100)(101).…”