Mesenchymal stem cell therapy in lung disorders: pathogenesis of lung diseases and mechanism of action of mesenchymal stem cell

Exp Lung Res. 2013 Oct;39(8):315-27. doi: 10.3109/01902148.2013.816803. Epub 2013 Aug 30.

Abstract

Lung disorders such as asthma, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), and interstitial lung disease (ILD) show a few common threads of pathogenic mechanisms: inflammation, aberrant immune activity, infection, and fibrosis. Currently no modes of effective treatment are available for ILD or emphysema. Being anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, and regenerative in nature, the administration of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) has shown the capacity to control immune dysfunction and inflammation in the lung. The intravenous infusion of MSCs, the common mode of delivery, is followed by their entrapment in lung vasculature before MSCs reach to other organ systems thus indicating the feasible and promising approach of MSCs therapy for lung diseases. In this review, we discuss the mechanistic basis for MSCs therapy for asthma, ARDS, COPD, and ILD.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Asthma / etiology
  • Asthma / therapy
  • Autoimmune Diseases / prevention & control
  • Bacterial Infections / therapy
  • Cell Movement
  • Humans
  • Hypertension, Pulmonary / therapy
  • Infusions, Intravenous
  • Lung Diseases / etiology*
  • Lung Diseases / prevention & control
  • Lung Diseases / therapy*
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / etiology
  • Lung Diseases, Interstitial / therapy
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation / methods*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / immunology
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / physiology
  • Pneumonia / etiology
  • Pneumonia / therapy
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / etiology
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / therapy
  • Regeneration
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome / etiology
  • Respiratory Distress Syndrome / therapy