Mesenchymal stem cells for therapy in lung diseases

Abstract

SummaryLung diseases are among the most devastating illnesses because of their prevalence and simultaneous lack of viable treatment. To advance beyond the current options of mechanical ventilation and transplantation, research in recent years has focused on cell therapy, and of the possibilities, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are the most promising. MSCs have immunomodulatory and secretory effects that work to relieve inflammation and prevent fibrosis in response to the injured lung. Numerous small and large animal models have shown the ameliorating effects of MSCs in diseases such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, acute respiratory distress syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, bronchiolitis obliterans, and asthma. Clinical trials for MSC use in some of these are in their early stages, but the encouraging promise of this cell therapy will ensure more trials to come. This review will first discuss MSCs as a population with varied properties and mechanisms of action and then will examine the efforts so far to use MSCs as treatment in various lung diseases.