Open AccessSafety and Efficacy of Allogeneic Lung Spheroid Cells in a Mismatched Rat Model of Pulmonary Fibrosis
Author(s) -
Cores Jhon,
Hensley M. Taylor,
Kinlaw Kathryn,
Rikard S. Michaela,
Dinh PhuongUyen,
Paudel Dipti,
Tang Junnan,
Vandergriff Adam C.,
Allen Tyler A.,
Li Yazhou,
Liu Jianhua,
Niu Bo,
Chi Yuepeng,
Caranasos Thomas,
Lobo Leonard J.,
Cheng Ke
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
stem cells translational medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.781
H-Index - 71
eISSN - 2157-6580
pISSN - 2157-6564
DOI - 10.1002/sctm.16-0374
Subject(s) - spheroid , pulmonary fibrosis , lung , medicine , pathology , idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis , fibrosis , cancer research , immunology , biology , cell culture , genetics
Abstract Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is a devastating interstitial lung disease characterized by the relentless deposition of extracellular matrix causing lung distortions and dysfunctions. The prognosis after detection is merely 3–5 years and the only two Food and Drug Administration‐approved drugs treat the symptoms, not the disease, and have numerous side effects. Stem cell therapy is a promising treatment strategy for pulmonary fibrosis. Current animal and clinical studies focus on the use of adipose or bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells. We, instead, have established adult lung spheroid cells (LSCs) as an intrinsic source of therapeutic lung stem cells. In the present study, we compared the efficacy and safety of syngeneic and allogeneic LSCs in immuno‐competent rats with bleomycin‐induced pulmonary inflammation in an effort to mitigate fibrosis development. We found that infusion of allogeneic LSCs reduces the progression of inflammation and fibrotic manifestation and preserves epithelial and endothelial health without eliciting significant immune rejection. Our study sheds light on potential future developments of LSCs as an allogeneic cell therapy for humans with pulmonary fibrosis. S tem C ells T ranslational M edicine 2017;9:1905–1916