Introduction
Lung illnesses, along with cancer and cardiovascular diseases, are a major source of morbidity and mortality globally. There are numerous illness conditions for which there are no accessible, effective, and curative treatments. Due to their innate anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic capabilities, cell treatments present a novel therapeutic strategy. The most researched cell product is mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC). Numerous preclinical studies show that MSC treatment in various lung illnesses, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, improves disease-associated parameters.
What Is the Definition of Lung Disease?
Lung disease is a collection of pulmonary conditions that have the potential to alter the natural ability of the body to expel air from the respiratory system. The condition has the potential to manifest symptoms such as weariness and dyspnea. Lung disease includes individuals who exhibit symptoms of emphysema (shortness of breath), chronic bronchitis (airway inflammation), or manifestation of both conditions.
What Therapy Options Are Available for Lung Illness That Use Stem Cells?
There are a variety of lung disorders, many of which result in the death of respiratory system cells or their inability to perform their normal functions. Certain lung disorders can be reversed or cured with a stem cell treatment that can restore normal lung cell activity. Currently, no lung condition can be treated with effective stem cell therapy. This includes COVID-19 and other respiratory infections caused by bacteria, viruses, or fungi.
What Is Stem Cell Treatment and Function?
Stem cell therapy, also known as regenerative medicine, is a treatment that encourages the body to repair damaged, malfunctioning, or diseased tissue by employing stem cells or their derivatives. It is the next step in organ transplantation and utilizes cells rather than organ donors, who are in short supply.
Various methods into specialized cell types, such as heart muscle cells, blood cells, or nerve cells, differentiate these stem cells. The specialized cells can be administered to a patient following a series of procedures.
What Are the Different Types of Lung Disease?
1. Pulmonary Illness With Chronic Obstruction: The most common cause of death was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an extensive range of illnesses with prolonged illness leading to death. Emphysema (a disease that attacks the air spaces farther away from the terminal bronchiole.), fibrosis, and mucus hypersecretion, along with persistent inflammation within the lung parenchyma, primarily a result of inhaled noxious particles, are its defining features. This leads to a gradual obstruction of the expiratory airway. For COPD, only symptomatic treatment is available.
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Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC)- Based products are used in COPD patients because they can help heal damaged tissues and change the immune system.
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In COPD, human bone marrow-derived MSCs decreased interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), apoptosis, inflammation, and fibrosis as determined by histological examination of lung sections.
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Additionally, human lung improved emphysema and pulmonary function in cigarette smoke-induced models of COPD, as shown because of changes in the gene profiles control immune responses, metabolism, and blood vessel growth; better forced expiratory volume in forced vital capacity (FVC); and less inflammation.
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Patients with COPD tend to tolerate treatment with non-human leukocyte antigen-matched allogeneic MSC.
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The six-minute walk test, oxygen saturation, number of exacerbations, quality-of-life (QoL) parameters, and circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were significantly lower in patients, suggesting that MSCs can inhibit the inflammation present in COPD.
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Additionally, MSC therapy enhanced COPD predictors such as body mass index, airway obstruction, dyspnea, exercise capacity (BODE) index, and QoL metrics in COPD.
2. Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis(IPF): Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic and irreversible pulmonary ailment characterized by the accumulation of fibroblasts within the lung parenchyma. This accumulation leads to the formation of distinct fibrotic scars and architectural changes in the lung tissue, resulting in the destruction of lung tissue and the presence of multiple cystic airspaces enclosed by thick fibrous walls, commonly referred to as honeycombing. The prognosis is frequently unfavorable due to the restricted availability of treatment options.
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The bleomycin-induced fibrosis model is widely utilized as a preclinical in vivo model for assessing the therapeutic efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the context of fibrotic lung disorders. This effect was characterized by a reduction in the levels of proinflammatory cytokines, a decrease in the deposition of activated fibroblasts and collagen, and an improvement in epithelial healing. Nevertheless, it was shown that there were no discernible therapeutic or profibrotic effects when subjects were treated during the ensuing fibrotic phase. In contrast to administering the anti-fibrotic and anti-inflammatory medication pirfenidone, the intravenous injection of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) has shown superior efficacy in mitigating lung fibrosis produced by bleomycin.
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The protective effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on pulmonary function, inflammation, and fibrosis were found to be enhanced with hypoxia pretreatment of MSCs. This enhancement was attributed to increased secretion of factors with anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and anti-fibrotic properties following hypoxic treatment.
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Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that the genetic alteration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to express bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7) can enhance the efficacy of MSC therapy in terms of its protective benefits. The murine bleomycin-induced model, while extensively studied and recognized for its resemblance to human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) pathophysiology, does not encompass all facets of the human disease, notably in terms of disease development.
3. Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome(ARDS): Low blood oxygen is a dangerous lung illness called acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS typically affects patients after they have been severely injured or have another illness.
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In ARDS, fluid accumulates inside the lungs' small air sacs, and surfactant disintegrates. The body produces surfactant, a frothy material that maintains the lungs' full expansion so one can breathe. The lungs cannot properly fill with air. They cannot deliver enough oxygen to the circulation and throughout the body due to the fluid buildup and lack of surfactant that result from ARDS—possible scarring and stiffening of the lung tissue.
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ARDS can worsen suddenly or over a few days. Breathlessness is frequently the initial sign of ARDS. Low blood oxygen levels, fast breathing, and lung noises while breathing are further signs of ARDS.
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Any age can experience ARDS onset. To identify ARDS, the doctor will perform a physical examination, examine the medical history, check the blood oxygen levels, and request a chest X-ray. The primary treatment for ARDS involves providing oxygen. Other therapies improve the comfort or try to cure the ARDS from its root. Organ damage or organ failure are major or life-threatening complications of ARDS that may be prevented with the right treatments.
Conclusion
Stem cell-based therapies for pulmonary diseases are becoming increasingly clinically feasible, according to a growing body of findings—particularly the potential of genetically engineered Stem Cell therapy, which substantially increases therapeutic efficacy. Several aspects of cell-based therapies require further clarification, including the route of administration (intratracheal or systemic), the precise dose regimen, and the necessity for repeated treatment, along with the use of allogeneic or autologous Stem Cell therapy and the most suitable source of Stem Cell therapy.
Therapies based on cells are expensive. It is believed that life-threatening (acute) diseases offer the greatest clinical and commercial potential for cell-based therapies. Therefore, development plans should concentrate on off-the-shelf products from allogeneic donor material.
