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Review
. 2018 Aug 1;7(3):56-71.
eCollection 2018.

Stem cell therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. How far is it to the clinic?

Nurdan Kokturk  1 , Fatma Yıldırım  2 , Pınar Yıldız Gülhan  3 , Yeon Mok Oh  4
Affiliations
Review

Stem cell therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. How far is it to the clinic?

Nurdan Kokturk et al. Am J Stem Cells. .

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a respiratory disease that has a major impact worldwide. The currently-available drugs mainly focus on relieving the symptoms of COPD patients. However, in the latter stages of the disease, the airways become largely obstructed and lung parenchyma becomes destructed due to underlying inflammation. The inappropriate repair of lung tissue after injury may contribute to the development of disease. Novel regenerative therapeutic approaches have been investigated with the aim of repairing or replacing the injured functional structures of the respiratory system. Endogenous and exogenous sources of stem cells are available for the treatment of many diseases. Stem cell therapy is newly introduced to the field of COPD. Currently the research is in its infancy; however, the field is profoundly growing. Previous studies suggest that cell-based therapies and novel bioengineering approaches may be potential therapeutic strategies for lung repair and remodelling. In this paper, we review the current evidence of stem cell therapy in COPD.

Keywords: Stem cell; chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Transamplifying Progenitors: Schematic illustrating various stem cell, cell therapy, and exvivo bioengineering approaches for lung disease. Abbreviations: AFSC, amniotic fluid stem cell; BM-MNC, bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells; EPC, endothelial progenitor cell; ESC, embryonic stem cell; iPSC, induced pluripotent stem cell; MSC, mesenchymal stem (stromal) cell [11].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Lung epithelial stem and progenitor cell candidates. Shown is a schematic of proposed lung epithelial candidate stem or progenitor cells and their niches in the proximal conducting airways and distal alveoli. Cells whose localization or existence is not yet clear or accepted are indicated with dashed boxes. Modified with permission from Weiss DJ. Concise review: current status of stem cells and regenerative medicine in lung biology and diseases. Stem Cells. 2014; 32(1): 16-25. Abbreviations: AEC2, type 2 alveolar epithelial cell; BADJ, bronchoalveolar duct junction; CCSP, Clara cell secretory protein; CGFP, calcitonin gene-related peptide; Itg, integrin; K, cytokeratin; NEB, neuroepithelial body; SPC, surfactant protein C [17].
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic illustrating the range of in vitro immune-modulating effects described for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). DC = dendritic cell; HGF = hepatocyte growth factor; IDO = indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase; IFN-γ = interferon γ; Ig = Immunoglobulin; IL = Interleukin; IL-1RA = Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist; Mac = Macrophage; NK = natural killer; PGE2 = prostaglandin E-2; SDF-1 = stem-cell derived factor 1; TNF-α = tumor necrosis factor-α; TGF-β1 = transforming growth factor-β1; TLR = Toll-like receptor; VEGF = vascular endothelial growth factor. Modified with permission from Viranuj Sueblinvong and Daniel J. Weiss. Stem Cells and Cell Therapy Approaches in Lung Biology and Diseases. Transl Res. 2010; 156(3): 188-205 [52].
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