[Early determinants of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Lung regeneration, a new therapeutic target?]

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a disease of increasing incidence, is related mainly to smoking. Although symptoms only appear at adulthood, the disease can develop from early life events. For example, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which occurs in preterm infants, is characterized by airspace enlargement and could lead to late lung consequences. Once the lesions are established, no curative treatment is available. Stimulating lung regeneration from endogenous stem cells is therefore an exciting research domain, particularly through the activation of the mesenchymal contingent located in the lung stem cell niche.

Keywords: BPCO; Bronchopulmonary dysplasia; COPD; Dysplasie bronchopulmonaire; Lipofibroblast; Lipofibroblaste; Lung regeneration; Régénération pulmonaire.