Combined Antioxidant, Anti-inflammaging and Mesenchymal Stem Cell Treatment: A Possible Therapeutic Direction in Elderly Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a worldwide health problem associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially in elderly patients. Aging functions include mitochondrial dysfunction, cell-to-cell information exchange, protein homeostasis and extracellular matrix dysregulation, which are closely related to chronic inflammatory response and oxidation-antioxidant imbalance in the pathogenesis of COPD. COPD displays distinct inflammaging features, including increased cellular senescence and oxidative stress, stem cell exhaustion, alterations in the extracellular matrix, reduced levels of endogenous anti-inflammaging molecules, and reduced autophagy. Given that COPD and inflammaging share similar general features, it is very important to identify the specific mechanisms of inflammaging, which involve oxidative stress, inflammation and lung mesenchymal stem cell function in the development of COPD, especially in elderly COPD patients. In this review, we highlight the studies relevant to COPD progression, and focus on mechanisms associated with inflammaging.

Keywords: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; inflammaging; lung mesenchymal stem cells; oxidative stress.

Figure 1.

Oxidative stress interacts with airway epithelial cells to participate in the development of COPD. Activators of CFTR, such as pendrin (SLC26A4), SLC26A8 and Ivacaftor, may improve respiratory tract function and delay the process of COPD.

Figure 2.

Effect of SIRT6 and PAI-1 on smoking-induced pulmonary inflammation.

Figure 3.

A new strategy for treatment of elderly patients with COPD; combining antioxidants and anti-inflammaging drugs with improved endogenous/exogenous MSC function.